Return My Heart
by Zenerific1
Summary: Sasuke must rescue Naruto from Konoha, is Naruto mentally damaged beyond all hope? And will Konoha be rescued from Danzou's dictatorship? Naruto X Sasuke Yaoi, torture, all that and more! Complete! PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW!
1. Chapter 1

"Are you sure?"

"Yes it's the only way?"

"But—" The protest was broken off as deep obsidian eyes sliced across to the emerald green ones.

"From the reports I have gotten Danzou hasn't stood about twiddling his thumbs. He has been given a powerful weapon and honed it into a very dangerous and very deadly machine."

"But Ts—she doesn't believe that he cou…' again she was silenced with a look.

"Even before the battle Orochimaru fought with the Third, Danzou was carefully infiltrating the ranks of the shinobi and spreading his double agents into the ANBU. I was then given an undercover mission by the Third himself that even if he was killed I would, if given the opportunity, join Orochimaru and find evidence that Danzou was planning on taking over Konoha. You know this already." Frustration edged the voice as he impatiently explained once more what had happened.

"After the battle with the Akatsuki member Negato, Danzou was in a position to fully take over; which he did. He branded the current Hokage a traitor and then gathered up the remaining shinobi. Each and every one of them was given a choice, all except one. They were told that they either joined ROOT or they would be considered traitors."

Around the table, many heads nodded and looked at each other.

"He gave us twenty four hours to decide. It was enough time for us to pack up, warn our families, and run. I wonder if that was his intention?" said a lilac-eyed young man.

"I'm sure it was. Danzou is not known for his stupidity and I am fully aware that he knew he wasn't liked among the shinobi loyal to the Hokage. I am also aware that your departure was used to full advantage with the village, making them think that you had abandoned it when it was announced that the Fifth was dead."

Honey-brown eyes narrowed and long, red fingernails tapped irritably on the smooth surface of the long table. Onyx eyes watched in amusement.

"Now, we know that Orochimaru was in contact with Danzou during the chunin exams when he attacked the first time. We also know that Danzou fully supported the attack because the ANBU stationed at the gates were aware that the Kazikage was really Orochimaru when they arrived for the final matches. We also have evidence that Danzou was siphoning money to Orochimaru in order for the Sound Country to grow at the rate it did. There are even documents stating that some of the ROOT divisions were sent to Orochimaru to join his ranks and help with the invasion. The plan being that once Konoha was destroyed then Danzou would be able to take over as the new Hokage while Orochimaru got what he wanted and every three years a young man or woman with extraordinary abilities would be sent to him as a vessel."

"Yes, yes, I understand all of that but the point I was trying to make was that if, and I do mean if, we succeed, the methods…" the first voice hesitated and then sighed in frustration before continuing, "We don't know what was done to begin with so what if we stumble across a trigger and-"

"I fully believe that won't happen."

"Sasuk-"

"We have everything we need in place to continue with Operation Free the Leaf with only one exception." He paused and looked down at his long fingers fighting to keep the worry and fear off of his face. "Naruto."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Okay, Okay…I realize that I should provide some back ground information or at least what I am thinking about while I am writing this story. For those that aren't current or are too far ahead and have forgotten: During the Manga series at the beginning of the battle with Pein, Danzou commands the ROOT to basically stay out of the battle at least until things have settled down.

So that's all I am going to say so far. I hope that you like this Chapter and PLEASE leave a review at the end…tell me whether you like it or not or just say HI. K

Thanks go out to : **itachifangirl2424**—you were my first reviewer, thank you :) and **sasunaru8080**—I am continuing!

No Mike and Ikes yet but soon, maybe…

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Sasuke Uchiha studied the lay out of the Village Hidden in the Leaf. In the past five years, the town had been rebuilt; the huge crater that stood in the middle was filled with houses and shops. It was dark but with the use of his sharingon he was able to see the houses clearly he could even see the ANBU guards as the stood sentinel on the gates over looking the village.

He smirked and made a few motions with his hands signaling the others to start making their moves. He had timed each so that they could infiltrate the village without disturbing the guards. His plan was to get in and get out as quickly and silently as possible. And if things went FUBAR then they would switch to plan b. He hoped that it wouldn't come to that.

He watched as several black blurs jumped silently from tree to tree and then disappear into the city. He timed his entry to coincide with a passing guard and landed lightly on the street below emerged with the shadows. He ran through the streets until he was outside Naruto's old apartment. Meeting up with his team he silently motioned them up to the third floor. They paused briefly outside the door where one of the team picked the lock and slipped inside.

The apartment was dusty from disuse telling them that Naruto probably hadn't been inside for at least five years. The team shuffled through five year old new papers and documents as they tried to find some sign of where he was being kept. Sasuke glanced about the room before his gaze settled on an old picture.

Picking it up, he wiped the dirt from the glass and studied the three of them along with their old sensei Kakashi. Sasuke felt a twinge of remorse for not being here when Kakashi had fallen. He slipped the photo out of the frame and into his pocket before turning and silently telling the others to vacate.

They made their way around the town to the trees behind the Hokage tower. Effortlessly they jumped from roof to roof until they could get a view inside. The tower was dark and they lifted the window enough to slip inside. The other kept watch while Sasuke opened the filing cabinet and sifted through the files until he pulled a folder from its mooring. Opening the file he quickly scanned the contents then replaced it back into the drawer.

The team made their way through the Hokage tower pausing at an intersection. In front of them was a door guarded by two ANBU ROOT guards. Sasuke made a few hand signs and evoked a genjutsu. The guards slumped to the floor lost in an illusion while the team glided up to the door. Two of the team members bounded the wrists and legs of the ANBU, while the other two stood at the door listening for sound from inside.

Sasuke motioned that there were two guards just inside the room and the four prepared for battle. Sasuke took a step back then gave the signal. He immediately rushed to the room and grabbed one of the confused guards while the others took out the second. With a single blow to the guys head, he dropped him and allowed the rest of the team to finish up.

He glanced about the room taking in the high tech security monitor and the computers giving out random data. He approached the blank and his eyes fastened to one monitor. He reached out and grasped a joystick and zoomed the camera in.

The room must be dark because the camera's setting was on night vision and the green light showed a figure resting on a small cot in a small room. There were no amenities to the room, not even a table or chair. There were no personal effects, no pictures, no books, not even a piece of paper.

He focused in of the person lying unnaturally still of the bed. His lips thinned as he watched the figure for a few seconds before looking down and finding the information that would tell him where the room was. With a quick motion the team had gathered close to him so that he could speak without the sound traveling beyond them.

"I don't think we have any choice but to fight it out with him. If I am correct then there is no way that Naruto is going to leave without a fight. We are going to have to be quick and precise or this operation is going become a though goatfuck." The team nodded and drew in calming breaths. "We will go in as a Hook and Button formation, got it?" They indicated yes. "Good. Now get ready."

Sasuke counted down then swung the door open allowing the first two to enter the room. Then he and the last team member ghosted in. He breathed an inward sigh of relief when the figure on the bed didn't move. He approached the cot pulling out a syringe filled with a tranquilizer moving to plunge it into the bare arm that rested above the covers.

A hand snapped up and knocked his aside as the figure disappeared out from under him. Sasuke blinked once before turning only to have a fist land a solid blow to his chin. His head snapped back and he grunted in pain. The movements were so fast that he almost couldn't see them even with his sharingon. The next fist he was able to dodge, jumping back he felt the whisper of the breeze as the fist parted the air.

"Now!" he barked setting the three others into motion.

One figure rushed Naruto intending to grab him in his arms while the others pulled scrolls. Sasuke ducked another blow and lashed out with his foot at the angry blonde's legs catching then just below the knees sending the guy flying into his teammates arms. Powerful arms latched onto the struggling man and held him firmly as growls irrupted from his throat.

"Hurry, he is much more powerful than I had imagined," Sasuke urged breathing heavily. He pulled out a scroll of his own and biting his thumb he summoned a pair of cuffs. Snatching them up he prepared for the next assault, drawing as much chakra into his hands and feet as he dared while still conserving some for their escape. He knew that as much as they had just made someone was bound to notice and alert the rest of the ANBU.

He watched as a barrier was erected sealing of their immediate area while the other had summoned a set of ink like snakes which slithered toward the blond being held.

The man holding their captive grunted then whispered, "Can't…hold…." Naruto broke free and spun bring hi leg up and kicking the guy in the jaw sending him flying backwards.

Sasuke rushed the blond and with a quick somersault landed directly in front of the man and fastened a cuff onto one wrist. There was a hiss of movement and a snarl before he had to evade again. This time the movements were somewhat slower and Sasuke to avoid the flying hands and feet.

The snakes continued to advance but Naruto still elude them by swift sidesteps and hops. He continued to snarl at the group that had invaded his territory and Sasuke saw when a brief flash of light caught his eyes that they were a deep blood red with slits in the center for pupils.

_Shit,_ he thought, _his drawing on the Kyuubi's power. I have to finish this now._

Sasuke stepped up his sharingon to the next level and zigged right before feinting left so that he was once again next to Naruto who leaped up to send a foot directly at Sasuke's face. Sasuke allowed the kick to land but while doing so he latched the second cuff into place over Naruto's ankle. The kick sent him flying backwards; he shifted his weight and dug his feet into the floor with a quick flow of chakra that stopped him from slamming into the wall behind him.

The cuffs had effectively stopped the flow of chakra throughout Naruto and he was unable to avoid the snakes that now had him tightly bound. Naruto roared in rage and charged Sasuke ducking down like a bull on the charge. Sasuke eyed him and braced himself for the full impact of Naruto's body. Sasuke wrapped his arms around the man's torso as his back slammed against the wall that he had managed to avoid earlier.

"Come on, get that drug over here," he hissed at one of his stunned teammates who leaped the distance swiftly and plunged a needle into Naruto's arm. Naruto howled as he felt the pinch then dropped trying to break the grip the dark haired man had on him. Sasuke went with him refusing to let go. They landed in a heap on the floor, panting one still straining and jerking in order to get free and the other holding tight.

A few seconds more and the movements in Naruto's body weakened, slowed as the tranquilizer took effect. The red eyes, slowly returned to the sky blue ones that Sasuke remembered then the lids drooped and Nartuo blacked out.

Sasuke held him for a few more seconds, his breath heaving in and out of his lungs.

"Sir, we have to move and fast I sense several chakra's headed our way and fast."

Sasuke nodded before heaving the unconscious Naruto onto his shoulder and they ran out of the room. They flew through the labyrinth of halls, sometimes backtracking and sometimes circling around in order to confuse the guards that were chasing them and to shake them from their tail as they fled the building. The guards of the gates had been alerted to the intruders and were now watching for them. Shouts rang through the street as the four made their way out of the town. Cutting down one alleyway they ran into a road block and turned to backtrack only to have their retreat cut off.

"Psst!"

Sasuke heard the small noise and glanced around for what, or who had made it. He saw a hand wave from the opening of a manhole. The hand was motioning for them to follow. He sent one of his team into the hole and a few second later the head popped back up, he nodded then motioned for Sasuke to hand Naruto over. A bit reluctantly he did so and watched as the two disappeared into the darkness. He followed when a signal was given that the coast was clear.

The sewer line ran under the city in several directions and he smile slightly as he realized how perfect this was. He turned to find the person responsible. It was a young man of about fifteen. The boy wore a yellow green shirt, brown pants and a impossible long scarf. He smiled brightly at Sasuke before waving his hand and running down a tunnel. Sasuke motioned for the man holding Naruto to go ahead and follow the boy while he took up center with the rest of the group behind him.

They ran down tunnel after tunnel until Sasuke was thoroughly lost as to which way they were going, but the boy didn't hesitate. They finally stopped as a ladder heading up and the boy scrambled up the ladder and out of the sewer.

"It's clear," his soft voice came floating down to the group who immediately ascended the ladder. "This way," the boy said and hurried to a door and through it.

Sasuke looked around and noticed that they were at a building that hugged the gate. He could see the ANBU standing alertly on it with his men just below in deep shadows. He hastened through the door way and into the dark interior of the house. Curious eyes watched from cracked doorways as the four moved through the hallway following the boy. Sasuke wasn't sure that this was such a good idea but he knew that he really didn't have any other options. He didn't want to fight the ANBU while trying to carry Naruto and protect his team also.

The boy led them down a flight of steps and into a cellar. Candles were lit to give light and he saw several people standing at the ready when they entered. One man in particular stepped forward. He was tall and thin, his black hair was pulled back into a ponytail and there was a scar crossing the bridge of his nose. Sasuke recognized him instantly.

"Iruka."

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YAH!!!! Iruka is back! O.O

Again Leave a Review and or maybe a suggestion. I think that this story is going to be a challenge for me I NEED ENCOURAGEMENT!!!!!

Okay sorry for the EMO moment I am calm again…

Advertisement: You can read the Manga for free on and watch the episodes for free on

The last Manga chapter that I read was "Conversation with the 4th"


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you **Dame Loli, Takayu, Itooshii Koneko **(my best fan whose been with me since the beginning)**, Lanie, and yoaifangirl1020, **for you generous reviews. I really appreciate them, makes me feel special *hugs self* Hope you enjoy this chapter also.

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"Thank you, Konahamaru," the man said as he turned to the boy. "Uchiha Sasuke," the older man said holding out his hand, "it's hard to say, but I'm glad to see you.

Sasuke took the man's hand in a firm shake and smiled. "I understand."

"But I think you may have come too late." Iruka nodded in the direction where Naruto hung limply.

"I don't think so," Sasuke said with confidence. "If I can get him back to my place then I should be able to get our Naruto back. But it might take some time."

"Iruka, we must hurry if we are going to help them," A woman stepped forward, her long dark tresses fell to her waist and she watched the procession with deep crimson eyes. She smiled at the others in the group before pressing her point, "the ANBU are moving through the streets and are now searching houses, they have correctly guessed that the intruders could have gotten help from one of the villagers."

Iruka nodded, "You're right, Kurenai." He turned to show the team into a dark hallway. Pointing, he said, "At the end is a latch that will open a door. There is a tunnel behind the door that with take you under the wall. It comes out about 150 meters from the gate. The exit is hidden behind several large boulders so you shouldn't have any problems getting away unseen. Now hurry and I hope to see Naruto soon. Tell him...tell him that I'm proud of him."

Sasuke nodded and led the way his team following closely behind him. There was a scraping a shuffle behind them and the tunnel went pitch. Sasuke felt around in the dark until his fingers brushed over a peculiar dent in the frame of the door before him. He pushed at the dent and heard a muffled click then the door swung open into more darkness.

"Kuso," he muttered moving forward one hand on the wall and the other before him just in case he ran into a wall or some such. Slowly they moved through black so dark that it gave the illusion that they were moving through tar. Sasuke's hand was growing numb from brushing against stones that were ice cold and his eyes wanted to play tricks on him in darkness so complete that his sharingon didn't work.

The hand he held out in front of him met a metal bar and he explored it and the area around it finding that they had reached a ladder.

"Okay I think we're at the end of the tunnel, I'm going to go up and take a peek," he whispered, but even that sounded so loud in the dark that he flinched.

"Hai," said the three behind him.

Sasuke climbed the rungs which seemed to extend into forever, at least, until he hit his head on a wooden plank above him. Cursing he reached up and pushed at the plank. It wouldn't budge. He ran his fingers over the board and around the edges until he felt a thin rope which he grasped and tugged on. He heard a hollow slither and a smooth thunk. Hoping that this meant that the latch had been sprung he pushed against the plank again. This time the top opened with a small squeal.

Sasuke peered out and seeing only rocks and grass he opened the hatch bit by bit always on guard against chakra sources that would tell him that their escape had been discovered. Once the hatch was fully open he quickly scouted the area and found that they were indeed where Iruka said they would be and no one was around. He hissed into the hole that they area was clear. The first guy came through the hole still carrying Naruto. Sasuke relieved him of his burden and slung the limp body over his own while waiting for the others.

Once again above ground they took stock of everything around them then leaped into the trees looking like nothing more that shadows.

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Sasuke peer through the bars at there captive, who paced the deep shadows with rumbling growls. He ended up being the one to bring him meals and see to his other needs because he had terrified everyone else into keeping their distance. The boy was more of an animal than human, and in the past week since they had returned he began to wonder if Iruka was correct and they had waited too long.

"You know, Naruto, the growling, barking, howling, and other noises are beginning to get annoying," he told the man.

Naruto threw himself against the bar making then rattle in their moorings. He had yet to utter one syllable. He hadn't even recognized Sasuke even though he had search for him for three years solid, even though Sasuke was the reason for him being so powerful that he was able to bring an end to the Akatsuki's machinations.

Sasuke was sitting down leaning against the wall as he watched Naruto's attempts to either scare him into going away or to try and get away himself. He heaved a saddened sigh as he tried to think of a way to reach Naruto.

"Do you remember the country of the waves? Kakashi-sensei decided that we needed more training and so he had us climbing tree using just our feet. I didn't think much of it at first, I was sure that I would reach the top on the first try but I only made it five feet off the ground. You didn't even make it three feet though," Sasuke began talking.

He talked about their days in the academy, about seeing Naruto for the first time while sitting on the dock near his home. He spoke to Naruto about his fetish with Ichiraku Ramen, their first mission chasing a stupid cat that refused to stay with its owner; he even talked about the dog that had dragged Naruto into a mine field. He chuckled over this last bit.

"You looked so funny sitting there with that huge dog on top of you," he smirked. The kyuubi had settled down and was sitting in a corner of the cell, knees drawn up to its chest, head pressed into them.

"Naruto," he said in a more serious tone, "I need you to talk to me. Help me so that I can help you. What did Danzou do to you?" The questions remained unanswered and he thought the boy had fallen asleep.

He rose to his feet and walked to the door; he paused and looked back at the blond. Naruto had risen his head watching as Sasuke was leaving. The blood red eyes flickered to blue for a second before switching back. That glimpse of blue made Sasuke's heart ache for the friend he had lost.

"If I had known that it would have turned out this way, Naruto, I never would have agreed to the undercover mission that the Third gave me," he whispered. "I would have stayed by your side and protected you while you protected me and the village. That they turned you into this…I don't know if I can forgive myself." He closed the door softly behind him and listened with gathered tears as a lonely howl came from behind the wood.

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Yes, I know the drama, the suspense, the anguish!!!!!

Luv ya peoples and please leave a REVIEW.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N**: before we go further, I would like say a few things. First to offer a warning: No, No. No I decided to say anything else. I'm going to upload the next few chapter quickly because there the hardest ones that I have written so far. AND I want you reaction to the whole without any time to recover. But do grab a few tissues, just in case.

Thanks go to: **The Desiree Incident, Itooshi Koneko, and Dame Loli—**thanks you guy, you're the best.

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"Okay, Naruto, I'm going to toss this ball to you and I want you to throw it back," Sasuke said as he held up a small red sphere.

Naruto watched as the ball flew through the air and landed with a thump against his chest. He snarled low in his throat as he snatched the ball before it could hit the floor and threw it back at the bars.

Anger was an ever present emotion in the kyuubi's mind. Rage, hate, revenge had taken away every vestige of humanity leaving only an animal in its place. He didn't even feel fear anymore and he liked it that way.

But when this dark hair man showed up, another part of his brain surfaced and he had to fight with it to push it back into that dark place.

He remembered being chained to a wall while masked men in cloaks used whips on him. He remembered being so hungry that he begged for a crust of bread promising them anything just so that the ache in his stomach would stop. He remembered the hideous laughter as he was held down as they ripped apart his insides before tossing a sliver of crust on the ground. He remembered his shaking hands as they snatched it up and shoved it in his mouth dirt and all even as he bled his life's blood into the ground along with the filth they had left behind. He remembered killing each of his friends tearing their delicate bodies apart with his bare hands.

"Now, Naruto…" the man was saying bringing Naruto out of his tormented memories.

Just the smooth dark voice pricked at a shattered memory and Naruto tried to grasp at it but it was like trying to grasp at the wind. He knew that it was important but he couldn't hold onto it and it drifted back into the murky darkness of his mind. He snarled deep in his chest as the piece of rubber hit him again.

This time he snatched in up and looked at the man as he tore it in half and dropped it on the ground. He turned away from the irritation and paced back to a dark corner, lying down and curling into a ball. His eyes stayed glued to the man outside the bars watching him with sad eyes.

"Naruto," the man sighed and approached the bars; "I am bringing you a surprise tomorrow. I am hoping that this surprise will help so I would like you to be on your best behavior."

The man left leaving the kyuubi in quiet.

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Sasuke leaned against the door and breathed out. His head lowered and he looked down at his feet wondering what he was going to do if he couldn't bring Naruto back. Everyone here seemed to be counting on a miracle that looked like it wasn't going to happen.

"Sasuke?" He looked up into green eyes. "How is he?"

"The same," he responded simply.

"It's only been two weeks, we knew that it would take time to undo five years of psychological brainwashing," the woman stated. She shifted closer to him and laid a gentle had on his arm. "I think your doing a wonderful job."

"Thanks, Sakura, but I don't know if it will be enough." He brushed the hand off. "Even when we were at odds and I called him 'dobe', I still thought that he could do anything he set his mind to. He always seemed to surprise us all with how quickly he adapted to a situation and could triumph even in impossible circumstances."

Sakura nodded, "Even, when Kakashi was training him to manipulate wind and combine it with Rasengan, he was determined."

"I don't know how Danzou was able to break his mind, and frankly I don't think I want to know. But if were going to put the pieces back together we have to get to a point where he will talk to me or someone at least. I want you to come with me tomorrow; I want to know if there is anyone that he will recognize."

"Okay," Sakura agreed. She would do anything for Sasuke if it meant getting her friend back and perhaps gaining Sasuke's attention as well.

Sasuke studied her, seeing the familiar pink hair and pixy features. He knew that Sakura wanted more from him that just friendship, she wanted flowers, romance, and love but he hadn't ever felt those things toward her. He had been consumed with his desire for revenge during his younger years and then once that had been accomplished with planning a way to free Naruto. He hadn't had time for friendship let alone flowers.

"Thank you," he murmured and moved down the hallway to the room where monitors had been set up to observe Naruto while he was alone. He pushed open the door, closing firmly behind him, and taking a seat in front of the bank of TV's and settled in to watch.

Five years ago Sasuke had been working undercover in the Akatsuki, gathering information and relaying it back to the Fifth when he heard about the battle with Pein. He learned from the other members that Pein had defeated Naruto's teacher, Jiraya, and then went to see about getting the nine-tail in order to seal it into a statue so that they would have the ultimate war machine. Pein had killed Kakashi but had been defeated by Naruto.

At that point, Danzou had emerged from his hiding place and taken custody of a nearly catatonic Naruto (catatonic because he had used almost all of his chakra in defeating Pein). Danzou had accused the Fifth of conspiring with enemies and had produced letters written to Sasuke while he had been working for the Akatsuki. The counselors had been gleeful when they had arrested Tsunade. Tsunade hadn't denied the accusation, because she would have been lying. Se had been communicating with Sasuke at the time but it wasn't to give away Konoha's secrets, but to gather the Akatsuki's. She had been jailed and a mock trial given where Tsunade had been sentenced to death.

Danzou had then gathered up the ANBU, jounin, chunin, and genin that were under Tsunade's direct command and given them an ultimatum. Either pledge their loyalty to Danzou and be trained 'correctly' by the ROOT or be considered traitors and sentenced to death along with their families. Many had joined the ranks but many more had fled, scattering across the continent and seeking alyssum with neighboring counties.

With Pein's defeat, Sasuke had slipped into Uchiha Madara's room one night and assassinated him so that he Akatsuki couldn't rise to power again. He had then killed the remaining member of the organization in the same manner.

With that accomplished Sasuke sent word out to the Sand country that any leaf ninja would be welcome in the Village Hidden in the Sound. He had been gathering the remains of the leaf for the past five years in Orochimaru's fortresses. A bit ironic when Orochimaru had been the one to start the ball moving on this path, he thought that it was only fitting that Orochimaru's vessel be the one to fix it.

Movement on the monitor caught his attention and he sat up to watch as Naruto picked up the torn halves of the ball and press them together. Naruto then let go of the pieces only to have them fall apart. Sasuke saw a grimace appear on the boys face as he picked the pieces up again and try again to put them back together, only to fail again. Eyes flashed to look directly at the monitor like he knew that Sasuke was watching then a kyuubi threw the pieces at the camera.

Sasuke sighed as the monitor's picture blinked out and snow appeared. He called up to maintenance and asked if they would bring another camera down.

Then he settled down to wait as he pondered the significance of Naruto's actions. Was he trying to repair the ball, did he feel guilty about tearing it apart or was there another meaning to the actions. Sasuke took it as a good sign and hoped for the first time in a week that maybe they could get Naruto back.

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"Oi, Naruto!"

Naruto's eyes were instantly open and he snarled at the dark haired man who appeared once more in his territory. The man was standing by the door and was holding it open for someone. The man motioned to the person on the other side and smiled at Naruto.

Naruto froze as a woman with pink hair entered the room. Instantly he was tossed back in time and place. He was standing on a field surrounded by people in white masks and dark cloaks. He was facing a girl with pink hair and green eyes who looked scared and she spoke to him in a gentle voice.

"N-Naruto?" her tone was low and only he could hear it. "Let's make a break for it, we can get away and run, okay?"

He shuddered as the next image flashed in his head, the girl was screaming as he ripped her abdomen open in a splash of blood and darker things. His mind consumed in a red hazy while another part of his brain shrieked at him to stop, that the girl was his friend, his precious one and he had promised to protect her.

The woman approached the bars and smiled gently at him. Confusion tore through him and he grabbed his head. He howled at the pain that was trying to cleave the organ in two.

Sakura stepped back from the bars and watched in shock as the man writhed on the floor.

Sasuke ran up to the cage, "Naruto!" He turned to Sakura, "Leave. Go, I'll come talk to you later."

Sakura ran from the room closing the door as she went.

Sasuke knelt on the ground and made soothing, comforting noises at the blond. "Naruto, it's alright, it's going to be okay, and Sakura is gone now. I'm sorry I was hoping for a different reaction."

After a few minutes the kyuubi calmed and was now lying on the floor where he had fallen, panting. His hands that minutes before had been clutching at his head nails digging in were limp by his sides. Steaks of blood ran from the wounds that were beginning to heal.

Naruto felt numb through out his body though a dull ache lingered in his head. For a brief instant he was grateful for the relief. He pulled air into his lungs that felt like a huge weight had descended on them. He whimpered and curled into a ball trying to escape the horror that still lingered in his head.

Sasuke heard the whimper; he drew in a sharp breath at the sound that pierced straight to his heart. Naruto had howled, barked, snarled, growled, and roared, but not once had he whimpered. The sound was full of pain and terror, the sound a dog would make after being run over by a truck. It was a sound that Sasuke didn't ever want to hear out of his friend's mouth but he was afraid that he would be hearing that sound a lot more.

Something had surfaced when Naruto had seen Sakura and Sasuke was sure that he had found a way into the mind of a kyuubi that had been so far unreachable.

The boy crawled back to the corner, dragged a blanket off the bed and curled up. Soon Sasuke heard Naruto's breathing grow deep and even as he drifted off to sleep, another first because Naruto was usually alert and watchful as soon as the door opened until it closed. Had Naruto grown comfortable with his presence? There were more questions than answers at this point. Sasuke ran a frustrated, trembling hand through his hair.

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He started a parade of Naruto's old comrades. He started with the ones that he didn't think Naruto would have an intense reaction too; Sakura being a ten on the reaction scale, where Naruto wanted to tear his brain out.

The reactions were various but most usually ended with him writhing on the floor clutching his head. After each session Sasuke would stay outside the cell until Naruto had calmed then asked him questions that were never answered. The days turned into weeks and the weeks into a month.

"Alright, Naruto, I have one last visitor for you to see," Sasuke said as he opened the door.

Naruto looked up with a mild version of his original growl; he had become used to the man who invaded his territory constantly. The only thing he wasn't getting used to was the memories that daily ripped across his mind with each new person. He braced himself for it and waited.

What he noticed first was the large chest that was covered with a forest green coat. Then the long golden blond hair that hung in pony tails. He continued up her face to meet honey blond eyes and to see a tiny purple diamond that rested in the center of her forehead.

Meeting the eyes, his mind drew up an image of this woman leaning over him and placing a sky blue gem around his neck and kissing his forehead with the whispered words, "finally, just one more time." The image pitched and a new one appeared.

"TSUNADE-SAMA!!" he heard a terrified shriek in his head as he watched the woman being led up to a platform that held a rope and noose. "NO, WHAT THE HELL!? SHE HASN'T DONE ANYTHING!!!" His arms were being held by four shinobi wearing white masks restraining him from running to the woman's defense. He watched as the noose was hung about her heck and pulled tight. He now couldn't see her face but he could see the set of her shoulders and watched as she straightened then and her head tilt up. He watched as a man in black robes and hood pull a lever and the woman drop into an opening as a hatch was opened. He heard the distinct sound of bones snap as her neck broke and darkness descended on him.

When he opened his eyes he looked up at the dark haired man who stood over him, at last within reach. He reached up.

"Sasuke, please kill me!" he cried as he wrapped his arms around the man's neck.

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	5. Chapter 5

"Sasuke, please kill me."

For the first time in over five years, Sasuke was looking into Naruto's true eyes. Eyes that were a ring of deep sapphire and worked their way to a beautiful sky blue the closer to the pupil you got. And the sight of them nearly broke Sasuke.

The words that Naruto uttered in a horribly husky voice, words that he never thought he would hear from this particular person, rang in his ears. Naruto had asked him why Sasuke hadn't killed him, had even told him that it would have been better if he had. Naruto had even claimed he would kill but never actually had done so. But now Naruto was asking…no, Naruto was begging Sasuke to kill him. Sasuke buried his head into Naruto's shoulder and clung to him.

Tsunade had her head buried in her hands, sobbing as she heard the words that Naruto said.

"I'm sorry, Naruto, so sorry that we couldn't get you out," she whispered then turned and fled the room unable to hold her grief at bay.

It was a long time before Sasuke could bear to release Naruto. They had ended up sliding to the floor and one point and Naruto's fists were clenched against Sasuke's back.

"Naruto," Sasuke said softly as he pulled away from the boy, "can you talk about it?"

"I don't know," Naruto said; his voice was grating, and hurt to hear. It sounded like rocks scraping together. It was the type that would come from someone who had screamed until they couldn't anymore one that took along time to heal. A broken voice. "I don't want to."

Sasuke swallowed the lump that had closed off his throat when Naruto had begged him to be killed.

Silence gathered between the two men, but Sasuke had been patient for five years, so he knew he could wait longer. He could wait for eternity if that's how long it took, but he didn't have to.

"I killed them," Naruto began, "I killed them, everyone. My precious people, those that I had sworn to protect. I—I…" Naruto trailed off as he pushed away from Sasuke. He crawled slowly back into his corner.

"It's alright, Naruto, if you don't want--"

"I KILLED THEM WITH MY BARE HANDS!" Naruto screamed. "OH GOD, OH GOD, OH GOD!"

The boy's head dropped to the floor and his fists slammed against the concrete, again and again.

Sasuke lost it then, tears slipped down his cheeks. He scrambled to pull the kyuubi into his arms, wrapping them tightly around the shaking body. His own trembling with mixed emotions: grief, for his lost friend; sorrow, for having left him; joy, at finally having pulled him from the demons embrace; happiness, at being near him again; rage, at what had been done to him (though he had only touched the surface); anger, at himself for causing Naruto to suffer all over again; bitterness, at the years that it had taken to finally be able release Naruto; and at the end, hope, because for the first time in days he felt that they would be able to accomplish everything.

Naruto buried his face into Sasuke's shoulder. The hazy darkness that had consumed his mind was beginning to lift. He felt the demon slink back into his cage. For some reason the demon had come out at the worst moments of his life, and had cushioned the blonds mind even as Naruto experienced everything that had happened in the past five years.

_It wouldn't do to have your mind in pieces, _the demon rumbled, _where would the challenge in that be, boy?_ It retreated with an evil chuckle behind the tall, dark doors.

Naruto pressed himself closer to the warm comfort that was Sasuke then confusion filtered into his brain. A bombardment of thoughts filled the previously shattered mind. Question that he wanted to ask, things he wanted to say, things he didn't want to talk about; it was all so overwhelming that if felt like shards of glass were digging into the wretched organ.

"What…who…I…?" Naruto stumbled over the words as he tried to say everything at once, so much so that he pressed his lips together and didn't say anything. Then the pain that had ripped the shell apart flooded him again. He tried to block it out to suppress it, but moans broke through his lips as it overflowed the boy's shredded heart.

"I couldn't stop it. I tried so hard…my head…so foggy…Sakura…telling me…to run…screaming…the blood…my hands," each broken phrase telling its own story. "God, ohgodohgodohgod…" Naruto pushed Sasuke away violently. "DON'T TOUCH ME!" he yelled, and then grabbed Sasuke by the arms shook him, "KILL ME, PLEASE KILL ME NOW! ohgodohgodohgodohgod…" He jerked away from the raven and scrambled away from the man. He moved as far away from Sasuke as the cell would allow, even though the door was open he didn't dare leave the enclosure. He couldn't trust himself enough to leave.

"No, Naruto," Sasuke said firmly, putting as much conviction into his voice as he could muster, "No, you didn't kill Sakura. You saw her, she's very much alive." The only explanation he could come up with for the torment that Naruto had just described was that Danzou had used genjutsu to fell the boy into thinking that he had killed his friends. "It was a trick!"

"I ripped her insides out! Tore her apart with my bare hands! I tried to stop, I had to stop…ohgodshesscreamingpleasestoppleasestop!" Naruto was clutching at his head his fists trying to tear his hair out as the event unfolded in his head. Then more, "Kiba… ohgodohgod…nonononono…hinata…neji…lee…ten ten…shino…shikamaru…ino… chouji…" Each name that Naruto uttered made Sasuke flinch.

"No, No, Naruto, you didn't kill them, you didn't hurt them. They are alive and safe," Sasuke got up from the floor and made his way over to Naruto. "Do you hear me, Naruto? They are alive! Safe!"

But Naruto was lost again, only this he was lost in the memories that the demon had suppressed. Without the demon, Naruto relived the worst things that he had done.

"I killed them because Danzou ordered me to and I couldn't stop myself. I couldn't stop him. I was too weak…to weak…not strong enough, not as strong as Sasuke. He laughed then brought another of my friends forward for me to kill. One by one," Naruto whispered unable to keep it inside any longer. "I kept hoping, praying that the next person to be killed would be me." Naruto uttered a defeated snort.

"But no, Danzou wouldn't kill me. He said he needed me that I had been born a weapon and he would use me as such unlike the previous weak Hokage's. Once I had performed my duty he would take me back to my cage and everything would get hazy again and I wanted the haziness, the darkness because I didn't have to remember. I didn't have to feel.

"I remember thinking that you would come and save me just like before. Just like you had in the country of the waves, just like always, but you never came and then I would remember. I remembered that you were gone and you wanted to sever the bonds that we had made. You wanted to take away my first friend, the person who had acknowledged me."

Sasuke heard these words and dropped to his knees in front of Naruto. He wanted to beg for his forgiveness, and to take those memories and those words back, but he couldn't.

"I gave up because it was too painful, knowing that I had fail in everything I had ever promised to do. I wanted to die, prayed to die, prayed that god would take my worthless life, but woke up everyday knowing that he had forsaken me. He didn't want me and I knew then that Danzou was right. I had been created as nothing more that a godless weapon. I learned then that I was unwanted, that I had forced myself on those that I had been unable to protect. I was everything that I had ever been called. Demon, wretch, dobe, loser, weak, worthless, all of those things and more."

Sasuke began to shake his head, "No, Naruto…"

"But even then my body forced me to stay alive, the demon inside me force me to stay alive. I couldn't escape it, when I came close, he took over. I would beg for a scrap of food, even a small crust of bread that was left over from shinobi's lunch. I promised them debasing things and allowed them to use me just so I could survive, so _he_ would survive.

"I hid from the world, allowing the demon to take over, I was able to escape into the darkness and not come out. I didn't have to think, to feel, to watch I was free from my soul. I escaped into the oblivion of nothingness."

Naruto's story came to a halt as he looked up at Sasuke. "Why?" he demanded, "Why did you bring me back? Why didn't you kill me?! I'm a monster. I'm nothing but a killer, a weapon that needs to be destroyed!"

Sasuke opened his mouth to deny it, to tell Naruto that he was much more than that, but Naruto continued with his story.

"Once a week, Danzou would mix up his special cocktail of drugs. I know that he drugged me otherwise I would have torn him apart as soon as he entered my cage, just as I tried to do with you. Once the drugs suppressed the demon enough that it couldn't do any harm he would take me for a walk," a harsh bark that resembled a laugh came from he chest. "Like a pet. He even put a collar and leash on me and we would go for a walk through the town. When I was out and about the people would hide in their houses and shops. It was so quiet that I didn't mind the walks.

"If Danzou need someone executed, he would shove the person into my cage and I would rip them to shreds. There were so many that I lost count. Men and women, I don't know what they had done but I knew that they were to be killed otherwise they wouldn't be have come near me."

"I have seen the kyuubi when he takes over, Naruto, you gain a demon's cloak and tails. Why didn't you tear that place apart and escape on your own? You could have fully released the demon and destroyed everything in your path.?" Sasuke asked quietly.

"I…I don't…know," Naruto's confused mind couldn't come up with an appropriate response.

_It was that stupid Yondaime, Minato, your father, _the kyuubi growled, supplying the answer, _when he redid the seal. I couldn't gain a foothold to fully be released._ The nine-tails snarled deeply at this.

"My…my father resealed the nine-tails chakra and it wasn't able to…takeover…" Naruto said hesitantly as if unsure that this was correct but he wasn't able to come up with a more plausible reason.

Sasuke remembered something that Sakura had told him once. She had described a battle with Orochimaru at the Heaven and Earth Bridge, before they had found him, where the kyuubi had take over and the fourth tail emerged. She had told him that Naruto wasn't able to distinguish between friend and foe. He had attacked her when she had foolishly approached him. She told him that afterwards their captain, Yamato, had taken Naruto aside and told him that he had been the one to hurt Sakura and that if he wanted to get Sasuke back then he needed to do it without the kyuubi's power. That he needed to use his own strength, his own hands, and to see Sasuke through his own eyes.

Sasuke now thought that perhaps the words that had been spoken that day had made such an impact on Naruto that even at his worst he still hadn't let the kyuubi fully out.

Naruto felt so tired and unable to stay upright, he allowed his body to slide to the floor, lying on his side. He curled into a fetal position and pillowed his head on Sasuke's thigh. He felt the slender fingers of the man sift through his locks in a comforting manner, the way a mother would sooth a child after a nightmare. His eyes closed and he whispered, "Why…Sasuke…why didn't you come?"

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	6. Chapter 6

Sasuke opened his mouth to explain to Naruto be realized that the kyuubi had fallen asleep. He sat there for a long time running his fingers through the soft, yellow locks. Even when they were younger it had never failed to fascinate Sasuke and how exotic Naruto's blond hair was.

The door to the holding area opened and Tsunade looked into the room. Seeing that Naruto was asleep, she motioned for Sasuke to join her outside. Sasuke carefully shifted out from under Naruto's head. He stood, grabbed the blanket from the unused cot, and laid it over his friend before joining Tsunade in the hallway.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke, I…I just couldn't handle it," she said as they walked along the hallway.

"I understand, Tasunade-sama, if I could have run I would have also," Sasuke assured the older woman.

"Yes, but I'm older, I was the one who failed to protect the village and Naruto from Danzou. I should have been able to handle that situation," she growled and a fierce light came into her eyes. "I'll kill that snake for what he did to Naruto."

The pair halted at an open door way that led into a room where everyone had gathered around a large conference table. Sasuke stood back and allowed Tsunade to enter the room first then followed. He took a seat at the head of the table and glanced around the table at the others seated there.

To his right and going clockwise around the table were Tsunade, Sakura, Ino, Chouji, Rock Lee, TenTen, Neji, Kiba, Hinata, Shino, Shikamaru, and Gai-sensei. They all were looking at him in expectation.

"Is it true?" Shikamaru finally spoke up when it was clear that Sasuke wasn't going to.

"Is what true?" the raven responded.

"Did Naruto talk?" Shikamaru demanded.

"Yes," Sasuke said simply. He pressed a hand that shook with stress to his temple rubbing at the dull ache that had grown there from forcing back emotions that were too intimate to express. "And it's just as Sai said. Danzou used a combination of mind-altering drugs and genjutsu on Naruto. He made Naruto believe that he had killed each and everyone of his friends as a means of torture and control."

Sakura stare at him in shock, and he heard a gasp from Hinata as he nodded before continuing. "Basically, Naruto had been buried so deep into his psyche that the demon took over the body."

"Then why didn't it destroy the village if it had free reign of Naruto/ We all were there when the eight tails showed up during the battle with Pein. It should have obliterated the town and everyone in it," Kiba spoke up.

"According to Naruto, the demon was resealed and couldn't take that much control, but my theory is that Naruto was once told that he was strong enough to protect his precious people without the kyuubi. I believe that a part of him still remembered those words and so that part kept the demon in check."

Sakura nodded in agreement with him. "Yes, I remember that Captain Yamato said it to him right after that battle with Orochimaru."

"When he accidentally hurt you?" Ino asked.

"Yes." Sakura's whole demeanor changed in that instant. One she was calm but slightly shocked at shat she was hearing and next she was seething with rage, her face flushing and her hands clenching into fists. "GOD, I-I just want to smash his face in!" she yelled and smacked her fists against the table.

Sasuke had no doubt that if she had gathered the chakra properly she would have demolished the hardwood conference table along with the floor underneath them. He was partially glad that he wouldn't have to shell out the expense for another new one. They were terribly expensive and he had already had to replace it once after she broke the last one. He remembered that meeting also.

It had been three years ago. They had been in a meeting like this…

"_Why? Why can't we go and get him?" Sakura had demanded as she paced back and forth going across the length of the room._

_Sasuke watched her for a few minutes before answering, "We just don't have the man power or skills to attempt it."_

"_ARGH, I don't care about that, every second that we sit here is one more that Danzou has at…at…I don't know what he's doing to Naruto!" She was clutching at her sides as if trying to contain herself from bashing his brains out._

_Sasuke remained quiet and stoic as he turned away from her and faced the others. "The information we have is sketchy at best. We don't even know if Naruto is still alive."_

"_Don't start that!" Sakura cried. "He's alive. HE IS!" She crumbled to the ground still holding herself in a hug. _

_Tsunade spoke softly saying the words that they all had been thinking, "If he was alive, then why hasn't the nine-tails shown itself? If they are torturing him like Sai said they would, then the demon would have come out, Naruto doesn't have that much control over it. It would have surfaced by now and destroyed everything in its path."_

"_I don't know, why?" Sakura said with a little more composure and stood, she stomped to her seat but didn't take it. "But I do believe that he is ALIVE!" she bellowed before her fists hit the table cracking it down the middle with enough force that the ground under it shattered too. She swung around and left the room, fuming._

_Sasuke sighed as the table bowed then hit the floor. Everyone had leaped away from the table as Sakura dealt her blow so that they weren't hurt when the heavy thing collapsed._

"_I agree with Sakura,' Hinata whispered, "I can't believe that he's dead. I won't believe it, because everything will have been for nothing. I can't see how we are going to free the Leaf without him." She looked down at her hands before meeting the eyes of her fellow comrades. "He _is_ the strongest among us. It anyone is able to do it, it's him."_

Sasuke drew back from that memory. How was he going to explain to Naruto why it took so long to rescue him? Every excuse, every delay—at this moment—didn't seem so plausible under the torment that he had endured for the past five years.

He ran his hands through his hair in a habitual gesture of frustration.

"TenTen, I want you to come with me tomorrow. Since we've had a major breakthrough with Naruto, I don't want to give him time to relapse back into the shell that we were able to crack. So the new therapy we are going to try is exposure, just as we have been doing, but this time we're going to try and get him to talk about the individual experiences that he has had with each one of you.

"This is going to be extremely difficult. I am warning each and everyone of you now, Naruto believes that he has killed each of you with his bare hands, so that everything your going to hear is going to be extremely painful.

"At this point, I just want to establish that you, hid friends and comrades, are still alive and that he didn't do any of the things he has been forced into believing."

Sasuke rose from the chair and quit the room before anyone could protest. In truth if someone had objected he didn't think he could have contained himself enough no to do them physical injury. He shook his head at this. Each of those people in that room would have easily given up their life for Naruto, so he didn't doubt that they would each participate in the coming weeks. No mater how painful if was going to be.

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	7. Chapter 7

Sasuke stood on the roof of the tallest building and surveyed the small town that had sprung up in the last five years. He shook his head in bewilderment as he watched the activities of the people as the closed down the shops and hurried home through the lantern lit streets. It was full dark and a cool breeze sifted through his hair.

He was wearing his perpetual white shirt unbuttoned and tucked into his navy blue trousers that were held up by a length of rope for a belt. Through loops on his belt was a long samurai sword that Orochimaru had given him years ago; a specially made blade that he could charge with his chakra into a more deadly weapon than it already was. His hands and lower arms were encased in fingerless black leather gloves studded with metal plates to protect them from blades such as his.

Five years previously, if anyone had told him that he would be establishing a nation from the remnants of the Sound Country, he was have sent them a glare that would cause said person to scurry back underneath the rock he had crawled out of.

Over five years ago he had been wandering from town to town, doing the Akatsuki's bidding until he had heard that the organization had been thoroughly squelched by one Uzamaki Naruto. During that conversation, with a bartender, he had learned that the copy ninja, and the second Sanin had also died; one during the attack on Konoha and the other while trying to gain information on the organization and its leader.

He had returned to the Sound Country; which had been overtaken by bandits during his absence and started planning. It had taken nearly a year to locate the refugee nin that had scattered after being labeled as traitors to the Leaf. He had immediately sent out communiqués to them inviting them to the Sound. It had taken another year to get them here, since almost all of them didn't trust him anymore and weren't sure that it wasn't a trap to get them here and destroy them.

Sakura was the first to come. He remembered. _Even then she was willing to believe in Naruto's naïve belief that he was still their old teammate,_ he thought.

Once Sakura was working on the plan the rest had begun to work itself out. The original 'Rookie Nine' showed up, though they didn't trust him at first. Then Tsunade had joined them; she had documents that the Third had written out explaining that Sasuke had been given orders.

She had found them just before that last battle with the Akatsuki. She told them that she hadn't been able to announce Sasuke's newly discovered status of undercover operative before the battle against Pein. Then she had been branded a traitor and force to flee, but she had secured the documents before doing so.

Once the trust had been reestablished, they had begun seeking information about Danzou and his activities. That is were the difficulties had arisen. Danzou kept the village under tight security. No one left and no one entered without a pass which was nearly difficult to get. The ROOT division was always under a code red alert for suspicious activities. They were only able to gain limited reports and most of them were about people who had been accused of breaching security protocol (whatever that was) and sentenced to death.

Danzou had taken the city and turned it into a Dictatorship. Only ninja that had been fully trained by Danzou were allowed to carry out missions. Sasuke had ordered his men to capture any Leaf ninja that they could and return with them. It soon became clear that Danzou had told them that they must never be caught and if they failed this then they were to commit suicide. He had even supplied them with a fast acting poison to help the process along.

Two and a half years passed and they still couldn't gather enough information to launch a rescue mission for Naruto.

Sasuke grimaced, _Two and a half fucking years! God Dammit!_ _How could they have been so weak, so incompetent…no that's not right, he was the only one who was incompetent…everyone had worked hard at the mission I had given them. They had followed me with every faith that I knew what I had been doing._

"Sasuke?"

He whipped around to see Sai crouching not ten feet from him. He gave a twitch, the only indication of how annoyed he was at himself for not having sensed the other presence before he spoke.

" I read somewhere that beating ones self up over uncontrollable circumstances isn't good for the psyche," Sai said as he stood and walked up to Sasuke. He steps were silent having been trained by Danzou himself to do so.

"I don't know what you mean," Sasuke said keeping his face impassive as he looked at the older man.

"You know," Sai said, his face just a careful to show no emotion, "It's hard to fool someone who has been where you are now."

"And how do you know where I am?" Sasuke sneered.

"I had a brother once when I was young. He died and for a long time I tried to figure out how I could have saved him. I blamed myself for not doing so," a little of the bitterness that he had felt then slipped into Sai's words. Sasuke had no doubt that the man had allowed it. Sai had been trained as a ROOT operative, trained to have no emotions.

"Right now, Sai, your our greatest asset, but you are also equally our biggest threat," Sasuke said as he went back to watching the night.

Six months ago, Sai had shown up on their borders and Sasuke had sent out a team which included Sakura, to bring him back to headquarters. He had come peacefully, surrendering immediately and saying that he had vital information which he wanted to share with them.

He had brought with him Intel about Naruto, the most important detail that he was alive. He had briefed them on the 'training'—if it could be called that—that Naruto was undergoing and the movements of the ANBU inside the Fire Country and Konoha itself.

Regardless of the crucial information that Sai had provided (and Sasuke'd had it confirmed), he still didn't fully trust the man.

Sai sighed and rubbed his head. "Sakura would be happy to answer any questions for you about me," he said. "But to skip all the niceties, five years ago when we found you at Orochimaru's hideout, I had been sent by Danzou to assassinate you. He had figured correctly that Naruto and Sakura would be the ones to find you. What he hadn't known at the time was just how influential Naruto can be when he decides that he wants to be friends with someone. Kakashi had once said that Naruto's greatest ability was making people want to believe in him. This ability also had a second gift, it makes people want to believe in themselves also. Naruto reminded me that all I had wanted was to show my brother that we could be happy. He gave me that memory back and for this I would gladly give up my life for him." Sai smiled at Sasuke, it was a smile that reached his eyes and not the perpetually fake one he normally wore. With that speech—the long string of lines that Sai had ever put together in front of Sasuke—he disappeared into the darkness.

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Ten Ten approached the shuddering Naruto, who was now curled up of the floor in his corner. She gently held out her hand meaning to touch his shoulder but hesitated as he flinched. She looked back at Sasuke who was standing outside the cage arms folded watching the events unfold with a clinical stare, studying every movement, every action and analyzing it. For a brief second she resented his calm exterior.

"Naruto," she breathed and placed her hand on his shoulder, "look at me." She knelt by his side keeping the contact even though he was trying to become a part of the wall.

"Talk to him about an event in the past." Ten Ten nodded her acknowledgement.

"Do you remember our mission to save Gaara? I was scared then we had to fight those clones of ourselves. I didn't think we would be able to win but Lee came up with the strategy that we had to become stronger than we were when the trap was sprung."

Naruto finally responded to Gaara's name and he quit moving away from her.

"Somehow on the way there you were able to convince Chiyo-basama that Gaara was worth saving even if he was a jinchuryki. She gave up her life to him because of you."

"I didn't know that she was giving him her life," Naruto whispered. "If I had know that was what she was doing, I don't think I would have let her.

"She wanted to do it for her Kazikage. She wanted to make up for sealing the shakaku inside of him on his fathers orders. It gave her joy to do it, because she thought that she had made too many mistakes in her past and she need to make up for them. Did you see how many people came to rescue him?"

"He was a great leader."

"He was a great leader, because of you, Uzamaki Naruto. You made him want to be better than he was; he wanted to be like you." Ten Ten's tears tracked down her face freely.

"I'm …s—sorry, Ten Ten, I didn't want to kill you," Naruto looked into her eyes for the first time.

"You didn't kill me, I'm alive because of you," Ten Ten stated emphatically.

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"…I couldn't believe that you had defeated me. I was a genius and you were…," Neji told him. "But I still remember your words and they helped me to change. Do you remember what you told me that day?"

"I told you to quite whining about that destiny crap," Naruto muttered.

"Yeah," Neji chuckled, "the examiner told me, as you were running around receiving you just rewards, that a caged bird never gives up his dream to fly freely and will pick at the cage door."

Naruto looked up at him silently, regret filling his eyes. Neji looked straight into those blue orbs, "You didn't kill me, Naruto."

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Shikamaru stood near the door leaning against it, as he studied the man before him. He had been silently doing so for about ten minutes now. Sasuke thought that he wasn't going to say anything and he took a step forward.

"Oi, Naruto, you're becoming troublesome. First you get your ass captured by that freak Danzou, and then we have to rescue you," Shikamaru stated in his normal bored tone ignoring the flinch Naruto gave at the sound of his voice.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. It had been almost a month since they had started this round of therapy and it was always the same with Shikamaru.

Shikamaru huffed out a breath and moved to Naruto sitting down next to him. "Naruto, we do what we do to protect the king," Shikamaru took out a silver lighter and flicked it open, lit it, then shut it with a snap. "Do you remember? Who is the King?"

"The unborn children of the Fire Nation," Naruto responded lowly, "the children who will inherit the Will of Fire from us."

Shikamaru blinked back tears and smiled at Naruto. "You didn't kill me, because it would be too troublesome to come back and haunt you." Naruto twitched and leaned a little on Shikamaru who draped an arm around his shoulders.

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Tsunade lifted the First's necklace and placed it around Naruto's neck. She tucked it into the dirty t-shirt that he wore. "You lost this and now I am returning it to you because you promised me that you would become Hokage. Do you remember?"

"I wanted to be Hokage after you, but…" Naruto trailed off as he shuddered at an unspoken memory.

"But you will be Hokage, I believe it," she smacked the ground leaving behind a dent. "I gave you this necklace because you won our bet…"

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"Oh, Naruto, I have thought and thought about what I wanted to tell you but there is just so much," Sakura said and wrung her hands.

"You were the first," Naruto muttered and pressed he fists against his head as if trying to prevent it from exploding. "He brought you to me in chains and ordered me to kill you. I couldn't do it, Sakura, not even aft he had chained me to a wall and stripped the flesh off my back with a whip. I…don't…"

"It's alright, Naruto, you didn't," Sakura whispered and hugged him, "you didn't kill me."

A small noise cleared his chest and Naruto pulled away from her. "It…I…One minute I was okay, I was me and the next I was some enraged animal and I was…I had disemboweled you."

Sakura shuddered at the imagery that Naruto described. "God, Naruto!"

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"AARRGGHH!!"

Sasuke was brought out of a dead sleep. Jerking upright head glanced around to see where he was. Disorientation cleared as his eyes found the monitors, one in particular. He shot out of the chair and sprinted out of the room and down the hall. He pulled the door opened and was assaulted by the full voiced screams of Naruto as he thrashed on the floor in his corner. Sasuke was across the room and through the cell door reaching Naruto in seconds. He gripped the kyuubi's arm intending to shake him awake when Naruto's fist slammed into his jaw and he was air born.

He hit the bars of the cell with a jarring THUD! And everything went black.


	8. Chapter 8

ALIRGHT a new update!!! But first I have to thank my loyal supporters; **Itooshii**—a pleasure as always, but more cliffhangers to come possibly. **Desiree**—If I didn't thank you before I do now—Danzou needs to die! **skyglazingMaro**—welcome, you don't know how happy just a few words can make me. AND **basketball-lover**—WOW, thanks and I'm working on it (the book, I mean) so keep your fingers crossed.

Okay enough with the gushing praise—on with the show; er, I mean, story.

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"God, Tsunade-sama, if anything happens to him…"

Sasuke blinked open his eyes and winced at the brightness of the room. The walls were white, the ceiling was white, and the lights were even white. He turned his head slightly and immediately regretted it as his head felt like someone was trying to hammer their way out of it, or perhaps it was into it. He lifted his hand and saw the IV that was hooked to it.

_What the fuck?_

"Oh, Sasuke-san, your awake," Sakura said as she approached the bed. "Thank god!"

"What happened?" he mumbled through a throat that was drier than Gaara's sand box.

Sakura poured water into a cup and helped him sit up so that he could drink it. Next to the pitcher was a small basket of apples and a daffodil in a crystal vase. Tsunade came to stand on the other side of the bed and was writing something on a clipboard.

"We heard the commotion and came to investigate. Naruto was screaming and thrashing around of the floor and you were lying unconscious on the floor," she said as she set the cup back on the side table.

Sasuke remembered. "Shit, he hit me," he sulked, then, "Is Naruto okay? He was having a nightmare and I got too close."

"He's fine, but he's upset that he hurt you," Sakura said and picked at some invisible lint.

"Who told him?"

"I did," Tsunade said, as she set the clip board down and handed him a small paper cup with a couple of pills in it. He eyed the pills then shook them, watching then tumble abou the cup. "For heaven's sake, their just a couple of asprin."

Sasuke smirked before tossing them back and swallowing them dry. He threw back the covers and tried to stand but Tsunade held out her hand.

"You're not getting up, you just woke up after two day's of being unconscious."

"How do you propose that you're going to get me to stay here? I have to seen Naruto and assure him that he didn't hurt me."

"But he did."

"No, it was my own stupidity in getting to close when he was tossing punches at imaginary people."

Tsunade smiled slightly then nodded. "Fine but when you're done come back to the hospital and get checked over again. But before you go…Sakura?" She stepped back as Sakura came over and placed a hand against his back.

He felt the light warmth seeping into his back and sighed silently as the ache was soothed away by her healing chakra. He had been surprised at how far she had come I her abilities, of course, he had known that she could do anything when she put her mind to it. She had been able to climb that tree on the first try where it had taken Naruto and him nearly a week.

He walked into the room and found Naruto sitting on the cot he face in his hands.

"You look like something the cat threw up," he stated making Naruto jump to his feet in a defensive stance. "Oi, Oi, Naruto, no one's going to hurt you."

"Sasuke!" he relaxed and walked over to the bars. Usually Naruto avoided getting close by either stay where he was or trying push himself into the wall. The fact that he had moved nearer, made Sasuke smile as he opened the cell door.

"I'm fine, you didn't really hurt me." He held out his arms and turned to show Naruto that he was whole and healthy.

Naruto closed his eyes, reaching out to touch the raven haired man to make sure that it wasn't just a ghost coming to torment him. The solid feel of warm flesh was reassuring and he slipped his hand around the man's neck and grasped it. He pulled the head closer until their foreheads rested together.

Tears stung his eyes, he refused to let them fall. He had cried enough since he had been brought here. Tears didn't change things, actions changed things and he was tired of doing nothing.

"Sasuke, how much longer am I to stay here?"

Sasuke raised his eyes to see the handsome face so close to his. "As long as you like," he said misunderstanding Naruto's question.

"No, how long do I have to stay down here? All the ghosts tell me that I didn't kill them, so either you are keeping me locked up because I am a danger to others and the ghosts are lying or their telling the truth in which case I don't need to stay here." Simple logic coming from Naruto was truly abnormal.

"Ghosts?" Sasuke asked with a frown. "Naruto…."

"It's going to take some time to get it straight in my head, Sasuke. I think…feel…that I want to believe them so bad that I am tricking myself and I will wake up tomorrow and still be chained to a wall. And before that happens I would like to walk around free and talk to you," Naruto raised his head from Sasuke's and looked into onyx eyes. "It's been forever since we went for a walk together."

"Alright, Naruto, lets do it your way."

"You have never said that to me. Anytime I had an idea, you always called me a 'dobe' and refused to do it." Naruto's lip quirked up at the corner but his eyes remained solemn and sad.

"Well, that's because your plan usually ended up with us jumping from the frying pan and directly into the fire."

"Who was the one that took on Gaara and almost got his butt kicked? I had to come to the rescue."

"Well, you were the one who got his but kicked by a girl."

"What? When?"

"Sakura beat you up regularly."

"Yeah, she did." Naruto rubbed his temple the shook the thought away.

"Come on. I'll show you around," Sasuke stepped out of the cell and motioned for Naruto.

Naruto hesitated at the door and looked undecided until he looked up and saw the challenge in Sasuke's eyes. He raised his chin in acceptance and took a step through the door. He trembled and waited for someone to stop him, to throw him back into the cage and chain him against the wall. "Kuso…" he whispered under his breath as the shaking continued to grow and he was sure that he was about to turn into chicken mode and run back to the cell and to his safe corner.

They walked through the hall. Okay, Sasuke walked, Naruto rattled or at the very least quaked through the halls. They passed people who stepped out of their way and smiled encouragingly at Naruto. Almost all of them greeted him by name as they went and Naruto drifted into a surreal state, relaxing into the dream that he was with his friends once more. An idea blossomed.

"Sasuke, I think I died, didn't I and now I'm in heaven?" Naruto smiled at the pleasant thought.

Sasuke stopped walking and looked down at the ground. "No, Naruto, you're still alive." Naruto shook his head at Sasuke then proceeded ahead of him, and Sasuke saw for the first time a slight bounce in Naruto's step. He blinked rapidly and caught up with the boy.

They made it to the outside when Naruto stopped abruptly. Sasuke halted and looked back at his friends. Naruto's eyes were wide as he looked up at the sky. He studied it in such a way as if seeing it truly for the first time. And Sasuke thought that maybe he was.  
The old Naruto was always wanting to train and too hyperactive to stand still. The man he was now wasn't as quick to act and for the past two months had literally lain or sat in the same place for hours on end.

Sasuke had to admit that he missed the old Naruto even at the same time was willing to accept this one. Today there had been some animation in Naruto some sense of his old self even though he thought that he was in a dream. He just hoped that Naruto's dream continued.

Naruto was looking at the bluest sky he had ever seen. Small black birds hung weightless in the air floating with the breeze. A wispy cloud rolled lazily across the sky and the sun was warm on his face. He breathed deeply of the clean, cool air that was perfumed with a thousand scents. His sensitive nose picked up spicy peppers from food stalls, sweet flowery scents, and even the earth smell of grass and dirt.

He looked at Sasuke and nodded his head. They continued walking. They passed crowds of people who looked at them curiously. Street vendors were selling their goods, children were playing games, mothers watching little ones as they explored, men sitting at tables playing shogi or watching, and older people just talking with each other.

A ball came flying out of an alley rolling up against Naruto's feet. He flinched slightly looking down at the green sphere. He studied it for a second before a little girl with curly brown hair pulled up into ponytails tottered up to him. His eyes widened as he frozen unable to move, unwilling to move. The chubby face lifted and flashed two tiny teeth and him before she crouched down and picked up the ball that was nearly as big as her in her arms.

"Bye-bye," she said in her small airy voice and teetered back into the alleyway where her mother was watching the entire procession. The mother smiled and waved as Sasuke, sending a curious look toward Naruto. Sasuke waved back but stayed close. He felt Naruto start trembling again.

"Naruto, do you want to go back?"

"N—No. I just…just…didn't want…to hurt her." Naruto stammered.

"You wouldn't have done anything. You didn't do anything to your friends, they're fine and back at the compound waiting for you," Sasuke insisted gently.

Naruto shook his to clear it of the thought that had rampage through it. The images that had tormented him, consuming him in fear and depression came at odd times pulled out with a random thought. Just now with the little girl, a vision of him grabbing her and…

_No! Don't think like that!_ His mind shouted. It was the part of him that still retained a vestige of the old Naruto, the part that wanted to believe in the things that had been happening lately.

Naruto regain his composure and forced himself to move, to take those steps that would propel him down the street. His legs felt like lead, making each step seem like he was moving through syrup. He tried to move chakra to his feet thinking that it might help him move, only to feel the chakra leak away.

He looked down and noticed the band around his wrist and the one around his ankle. He frowned at them. He had seen them but didn't know their significance until now. They kept him from using his chakra. He cocked his head and shook the band then tugged at it.

"They're to keep you from using chakra," Sasuke stated and note of sorrow in his voice.

"I know I can feel the chakra leaving, feels weird," Naruto said disgruntled. "I guess I am still a danger even in this dream."

"It's not a dream," Sasuke mumbled, he had a feeling those words were going to become his mantra for the next few weeks.

_Boy, do you want me to break the band? I can now that the drugs are no longer in our system. _The deep growling voice of the kyuubi filtered into his consciousness.

_No, stay away! _ Naruto chose to ignore the bands like he had been doing and they continued with their walk.

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OH my goodness. Okay so now for your part, shower me with praise please!!!! *begging on hands and knees*

Love you like always

ZEN

P.S. I am going to update again later so wait for it….wait for it….


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks you **basketball-lover **and **Dame Loli**—seriously I feel so, so jubilant!

Okay like I said I would here is the second update today. This chapter was totally planout differently but the gang just could sit back and let Sasuke and Naruto to have some time alone.

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Naruto stood at the window to his new quarters. He stared sightlessly out at the stars and glowing moon that smiled at him. He didn't see the shadow that stood on the roof of the building nearby. He didn't see anything but his inner thoughts.

It had been a week since Sasuke had taken him for that walk and still he dreamed. He had to believe it was a dream because he had been lost for five years. For five years he had been an animal locked in a man's body, an instrument of torture and execution. Freedom didn't exist for something that had committed murder, that had failed to protect the weak and those people he considered his family.

He was expecting the door to open and the dream to be erased. He expected the familiar shackles to be pushed through an opening on the door with the gruff order to put them on because Danzou was coming. He expected the guard to push him down and force themselves on him. He expected to be punched and kicked because he wasn't anything but a weak monster. He expected the red haze to descend and to wake up covered in blood and human remains.

The fox had shown him everything that it had protected him from because if it didn't Naruto would have lost what little remained of him mind and the fox needed Naruto to be coherent otherwise it would never be able to lift the seal. Naruto was the only one who could do it.

_Why can't you just accept the fact that you're free, _the optimistic Naruto exclaimed, _why do you have to drag us down all the time? Sasuke and Sakura are here! We have them back!_ That Naruto was jumping on the bed of his thoughts, swinging around the pole of his lost dreams.

The Naruto he was now tried to suppress that Naruto and turned away from the window. He paced from one side of the room to the other, something that was fast becoming a habit. He could go to the bed and sleep; that just brought nightmares and things he didn't want to think about. There wasn't anything in the room for him to do. There were no books or scrolls because no one had thought that he would read them. He would have to ask for some tomorrow. There wasn't even a dust bunny because someone was very thorough in their cleaning detail.

He dropped onto the floor and started doing some physical training. If he couldn't train using his chakra, he might as well strengthen himself with doing push-ups and sit-ups. He had started doing this a week ago and found out how weak he was physically. He was still weak and could only do about fifty push-ups and one hundred sit-ups.

_I wonder if Sasuke would give me a punching bag?_ He wondered. He wouldn't mind taking out his frustrations in that form then suppressed a snort as he thought, _I wonder if Sasuke wouldn't mind being my punching bag._

A knock brought him out of his reverie and he stood, opening the door to see Sasuke standing there. He snorted thinking that maybe Sasuke had heard his thought and was here to volunteer.

Sasuke held up a deck of cards.

"Since you're still up and I can't sleep, how about a game?" He asked with a quirk of his impassive eyebrow.

Naruto stepped back allowing Sasuke to come in.

The truth was that Naruto really didn't want to play a game but he didn't want to be alone either. There were too many thoughts that rolled through his mind when he was alone.

Sasuke looked around the sparsely furnished apartment and frowned. He would have to get Ino up here tomorrow to do a complete renovation of the sterile place. Maybe get an orange comforter for the bed and some blue things, a plant or three, and definitely a stereo.

He pulled a radio that he was carrying from the belt and punched the button on the side. "Hey, Lee, would you bring a stereo up to Naruto's apartment? We're going to play some card and I think it would be nice if there was more entertainment than just me."

"Yes, sir," came Lee's enthusiastic reply, "I will be there in less than ten—no, less than five!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, turning to see Naruto looking at him, an blond eyebrow raised.

"He doesn't change, does he?"

Naruto shook his head but made no reply.

Sasuke pulled out a bottle of sake and two small China cups. He poured a shot into each and handed one to Naruto. Naruto looked at the clear liquid and then sniffed it, wrinkled his nose, and looked at Sasuke with askance.

"Sake. I thought that we should celebrate your return," he raised the cup in a toast then downed it to show Naruto that he hadn't tampered with it.

Following Sasuke's lead Naruto tipped the cup and let the liquid pour into his mouth. It burned a path down his throat causing Naruto to cough and huff. Sasuke smiled at the reaction then poured another shot into the cups.

A knock sounded at the door so Sasuke left the bottle with Naruto to open the door. Lee was standing in the door with a CD player and a stack of CDs. Sasuke took the player and turned away to set it up leaving Lee standing the door shuffling his feet.

Sasuke sighed. "Lee, would you like to join us?"

"Hai, thanks," the guy said as he stepped into the apartment shutting the door behind him.

"You wouldn't have brought any sake with you by chance?"

"Uh, no," Lee said looking absently around the apartment. "You know how it affects me."

Boy did Sasuke ever. He had sent a bottle to Sasuke for his twenty-first birthday only to be called to his house before Lee demolished it. Sakura to him later that Lee was a natural born drunk fist master; Sasuke just thought that Lee was an obnoxious drunk who couldn't hold his booze.

Once they were seated at the small table, Sasuke dealt the first card only to hear another knock on the door. Frowning he answered it. Kiba was standing of the other side with Akamaru holding a bottle of sake.

"Hey, Lee said that you're playing cards do you mind if I join you?" He held up the bottle and grinned.

Sasuke nodded allowing Kiba to enter the apartment. He looked over at Lee who had the decency to blush and look down.

"He saw me carrying the stereo and asked where I was going. I didn't know that it was a secret."

"Oh, yeah, I let Shikamaru and Neji know also so they are coming too," Kiba replied, two seconds later there was a knock on the door.

Once again, Sasuke was seated at the table and dealing card out to everyone. And again someone knocked on the door. He opened it to find Ino, Chouji, and Sakura standing with Tsunade coming down the hall.

"Heard there was a game," Sakura said.

"I think that we're going to need a bigger table," Sasuke muttered as he let everyone in.

They shuffled what little furniture there was against the walls and cleared a space in the middle of the floor. Everyone took a spot on the floor and waited for Sasuke to deal again. Naruto was looking a bit flustered ready to bolt but he took a seat next to Sasuke and studied the familiar faces around him.

"Where's Hinata, Ten Ten, and Shino?" he asked.

"Hmm…guess they didn't get the message," Kiba supplied. He shrugged as he studied the card that had been dealt to him.

Naruto looked at Sasuke who grinned and lifted the radio.

"Hinata?"

"Yes?" came the soft voice of the girl.

"Find Shino and Ten Ten and come to Naruto's apartment. Apparently we're having a party and Naruto wants you here."

"Oh! Al—alright," she said. He could here the pleasure in her voice as well as a hint of excitement.

Ten minutes later Sasuke was again dealing a new hand now that the missing members of the group had finally arrived. Hinata took a seat next to Kiba, who grinned at her. Ten Ten was sitting next to Neji blushing. Ino had taken to leaning against Chouji who wrapped his arm around her. He knew that Shikamaru had a thing going with Temari from the sand though it had been a long distance relationship. As for Shino, he was seeing a girl who was fascinated with insects, and Lee was still waiting for Sakura.

Naruto distracted him by muttering under his breath and frowning at the card. Sasuke smiled, Naruto had never been able to develop the proper poker face. Smirking he raised again and called. Everyone played their cards: Ino had a pair of twos, Chouji a pair of sixes, Tsunade, Neji and Lee had folded after the first hand, Ten Ten grinned as she showed her triple tens, Hinata beat her with three jacks, Sakura grimaced and showed her two fours, Shikamaru pulled out with a full house which beat Shino's full house, Kiba growled and threw down a two sets of fives, Sasuke grinned as he showed the group his four eights then looked at Naruto who was still frowning at his cards.

"Naruto, its your turn to show us your cards," Sasuke muttered to him to bring him out of his reverie.

Naruto raised his head and looked around at everyone's cards. He slowly laid out a ten, a jack , a queen, a king, and an ace, all of them the same suit. Hinata gasped and Kiba grinned.

"Alright! Naruto, you kicked Sasuke's smirking ass!" Kiba shouted.

Everyone congratulated Naruto on a solid victory as Sakura picked up the card and started to shuffle.

For the next four hours the group played until Hinata nodded off against Kiba's shoulder. It was close to two in the morning and everyone was beginning to feel the effects of the Sake and exhaustion.

"Hey, guy, we need to call it quits otherwise this game is going to turn into a slumber party and I have to be up in a few hours," Kiba slurred as he lifted the dozing Hinata into his arms. "I'll get Hina home and see you later." He stumble to the door. Everyone else agreed and stood working out the kinks of sitting on the floor.

Tsunade pulled another bottle of sake from her pocket and set it on the table. "Thanks for the game." They filed out the door until only Sasuke and Naruto were left in the apartment.

Naruto had relaxed and now he laid back on the floor with he arms stretched out above him next to Sasuke who was gathering up the cards.

"Sasuke, would you pour me another shot, maybe if I get drunk enough I won't dream tonight when I pass out."

Sasuke looked down at the tipsy kit then stood and grabbed the bottle. He handed it to Naruto who took a large gulp then handed it to Sasuke who did the same.

"Mm…everything is hazy, and feels good," Naruto murmured watching Sasuke's Adam's apple move us and down as he swallowed. "Do you know that your skin is really nice looking?"

Sasuke sputtered and started coughing as the sake went down the wrong way. He set the bottle down and coughed hard into his hands trying to force the cool liquid back to its proper place. He gasped then turned to give Naruto who was still studying him from under his lashes.

"Why did you say that?" he asked feeling heat spread throughout his face.

Naruto looked confused, his huge blue eyes wide and innocent even after everything he had been through. Sasuke wondered if there was a part of Naruto that still remained protected.

"I don't know, i—it's…" he trailed off and looked away toward the window where the stars still shone in the deep dark. From the way Sasuke had reacted he thought that he had said something wrong and fought a brief battle in himself to understand what it was and to keep his mouth shut.

"Naruto, it's alright. What did you want to say?"

Sasuke's voice was gentle and comforting and much closer than it had been a few second ago. Naruto looked back to see that Sasuke was now lying on his back next to him of the floor. He stared into the dark, dark eyes looking for condemnation or hatred but he found none.

"I look at you and I feel…um…warm inside," Naruto whispered and closed his eyes, "at the exhaustion weighted heavily on his alcohol fuzzed mind. "I feel like I've come… home…" he drifted into slumber.

Sasuke watched the kyuubi fall asleep feeling deeply satisfied with the results. He had stood on the roof watching as Naruto did everything he could not to fall asleep. He understood the nightmares that haunted him because he had his own nightmares that he had to live with, ones that woke him in the dead of night. He pulled a blanket of the small bed and covered Naruto with it before closing his own.

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Okay to all your people that have favorited my stories THANKS and to those who have read it. I look at the stats and over 2,000 hits for both. Wow!

Loves to everyone, and may the world have peace soon

ZEN


	10. Chapter 10

Okay, this chapter is for those of you who enjoy a bit of yaoi. It has a whole box of Mike and Ikes in it. As for the rest of you, please skip to the next chapter, which I hope to have up in a couple of days.

My deepest appreciation goes to everyone who had read this and enjoyed it. Please leave a review at the end if you do read it.

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Sasuke felt the warm body next to him start to tremble, muttering sleepily under his breath he pulled it closer and tucked the head under his chin. Gently he petted it and waited for the shivering to subside before he drifted back into the dreamless landscape.

Moments or perhaps hours later he felt the trembling again. He snuggled deeper into the warmth, reaching up to stroke the silky hair as he began to gently kiss his way up the shoulder feeling how incredibly smooth it was. He reached the hollow where the neck began and licked it tasting the salty flesh.

The trembling stopped only to be replaced by a gentle shudder as he sucked the skin into his mouth before moving on. He ran his tongue up the muscular side of the neck finding the area just behind the ear and received a tiny whimper as a reward.

His hands slid under the shirt and splay across the stomach, feeling their way up to rub against tiny hard points. He played there for a while tugging at the points with sensitive fingers before gently working his index finger in a circle around them.

The body arched against him telling him of how much it was enjoying the sensations that Sasuke was creating.

Sasuke lapped at the hard bone of the jaw and reached up to turn the head toward his. He found the soft, tender lips that he now craved and began to nibble at them inviting them to open so that he could get a taste. The lips parted with an indrawn breath and Sasuke took advantage and licked his way inside. He turned the body so that it was on its back and heard a small purr.

Sasuke opened his eyes and looked down into the face of his kyuubi and watched as the eyes fluttered open to show him the deep blue that he loved. He leaned down and captured the mouth again this time with a little more force behind his assault.

Naruto reached up and speared his hand through the ebony tresses of the man who was building in him a deep, hot fire. When he felt that the man was going to pull away again he fisted his hands in the locks and pulled him closer.

Naruto felt the hands slipping down his chest to his belly and fingering the band of the trousers he wore. No one had ever touched him with such kindness and affection. He felt the ice inside him begin to melt.

The hand slid into his pants and grasped his organ and Naruto screamed pushing the man away. He scrambled across the floor, unable to see as the cold darkness descended. He lashed out as he felt a hand touch him. He couldn't hear anything but the pounding of his heart and the rush of static filling his ears.

Sasuke's eyes filled with burning tears seeing Naruto's reaction. His chest felt tight and hurt with each breath. Then a surge of unfathomable hateful anger filled him, a murderous rage that was nearly uncontrollable.

_Fucking Danzou, I promise that I will find you and I will kill you_, Sasuke thought. He wanted the man's blood cooling on his hands. He wanted to drench his entire being in the red liquid and know that Danzou would never be able to hurt his fox again.

Sasuke suppressed the emotion enough to slowly approach Naruto, watching him as he would an injured wolf in a trap, knowing that at any second the wolf would dart forward and end his life. But he still approached needing to free the wolf from the nightmare that had just consumed his humanity.

When he touched Naruto, the boy lashed out catching him across the chest leaving four furrows that began filling with blood, but Sasuke didn't back off. The moved forward and then quickly gathered Naruto into his arms.

Naruto went mad. He squirmed against the tight bands that held him, straining. He kicked his legs, snarling, because he could get away. He rolled, shoved, jerking the body around then slamming it down in an attempt to break it.

Sasuke stayed with Naruto the whole time. He concentrated his chakra into his arms so that he could keep a firm grip on him. His breath was knocked out of him but still he hung on.

Minutes passed or maybe it was hours, Sasuke wasn't sure but the kyuubi began to weaken and the struggles lessened until Naruto lay still against him panting, ragged breath sawing in an out of his lungs. Sasuke didn't dare release him so he stayed where he was embracing the boy.

Naruto slowly returned to himself, the dark shadows that filed his mind dissolving into nothingness. He began to gain awareness of where he was; he could feel Sasuke's arms tight around him embracing his in warm comfort even while restraining him. His terror giving way to exhaustion.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," he rasped, his voice deep and husky. A sound that would be seductive to Sasuke at any other time.

"Naruto, you don't need to apologize to me for anything. I'm the one who needs to tell you sorry. I shouldn't have pressed you like that," Sasuke whispered against Naruto's neck. "I'm sorry."

Naruto's pressed his head into the floor and whimpered with grief and regret. "I wanted you to touch me. I've wanted it for the longest time but they took it away from me. And I can't seem to get it back. This dream is a good one, but the nightmares keep returning."

Sasuke shook his head, unable to express to Naruto how much he truly wished he could go back and fix this.

"God, damn it!" he said softly against Naruto's back. "Okay, it's okay."

Sasuke relaxed his grip on Naruto enough that the boy could turn in his arms and face him. Naruto's hand lifted and touched his face, his hypersensitive fingers tracing the planes. He ran his fingers over Sasuke's nose, lingered on his mouth, and memorized the curve of his chin. The stroked a thumb across the eyes that had closed and brushed a lock of ebony silk off the pale forehead.

Growing a little bolder, Naruto reached up and kissed Sasuke. Sasuke's lips parted and Naruto held his chin as he began to reciprocate everything that Sasuke had done to him.

Sasuke carefully reached up and threaded his fingers through the blond hair that had always fascinated him. He caressed the scalp, running his fingers through the satiny fall. He smiled against Naruto because he could finally touch him.

He had dreamt about the boy even while working for Orochimaru. He had even went so far as to make plan on how to capture the boy so that he would have unlimited access to him. For years he had dreamt of the deep blue eyes and silencing the loud mouth. And at this moment he regretted not doing so in the first place.

Sasuke felt Naruto's had slid down into his trousers and brush against his hard penis. He rocked his hips up encouraging the man to touch him more. He groaned into the ravaging mouth as Naruto took him into his hand. He moaned as the hand tightened around him and began to stroke it.

Naruto broke the kiss and looked into onyx eyes. He watched the man under him quiver as he stroked the hard length up and down, pumping it with a sure, steady rhythm. His lips turned up barely as he heard the small cry that left lips that were swollen from his kiss.

He felt the demon open his eyes and smile seeing their rival thrashing under them as they brought pleasure to the lean body that had always, until now, been unattainable.

"Na—Naruto, god, please," Sasuke cried out as Naruto increased the speed of his motion. Sasuke arched his back as delight coursed through his body.

Naruto used his other hand to undo the buttons on Sasuke pants and to push them down so that he could see Sasuke plainly. He cupped the sack of flesh and gave it a gentle squeeze that bowed Sasuke's spine. Then he let his fingers drift down until he felt the tight ring of muscle that puckered even more when he pressed at it with his thumb.

He lifted his hand to his mouth and took his middle finger into his mouth working the saliva up until there was enough to coat it and them some. He returned the finger to the tense flower and rubbed his finger over it.

"Relax, Sasuke," Naruto growled as he pressed the finger inside and Sasuke clamped down on the intrusion. He released a spike of chakra that warmed the digit and caused Sasuke to gasp and push against him allowing the finger to glide in a little more. Naruto began a gentle thrusting motion and worked his way deeper until his finger was fully inside.

Sasuke panted and tried to relax at the foreign sensation. Little waves of bliss were spreading through out his being and he knew that it wasn't going to be long until he came.

"Naruto," he murmured, "I'm so close."

Naruto looked up at Sasuke, seeing the brow wrinkled in concentration. The black eyes half lidded as they gazed at him.

"I know, I can feel it." He grinned then lowered his mouth and caught the droplet of pre-cum on his tongue. The action wrung a groan from Sasuke who jerked his hips up to receive more.

Naruto took him into his mouth, suctioning the penis deeply into his mouth before running his tongue around the knob. He rubbed his tongue just under the mushroomed capped and was rewarded with a deep guttural sound from Sasuke. He licked at the tiny opening on the tip before bobbing his head down and pulling the length of the root deeply into his throat.

Meanwhile, his finger was still busy inside Sasuke's rear passage, moving, gliding, rubbing, until the walls around it relaxed then Naruto added another digit hearing the whimper that escaped the man under him. He pressed deeply until he felt a hard knot of muscle and pushed against it.

It was too much for Sasuke. He screamed and thrust deep into Naruto's throat and came.

Naruto swallowed convulsively as the warm ejaculation filled his mouth. He drank it all down then licked the head clean before releasing Sasuke. The man lay limply under him, his rapid breathing filling the room with a song that was sweet to Naruto's ears.

"Sasuke, I don't want to go back to the nightmares, I want to stay in this dream," Naruto said as he dropped his head onto Sasuke's shoulder and rested.

"It's not a dream, Naruto," Sasuke murmured.

Sasuke rolled so that he was facing Naruto. He wore a smirk and reached out to brush a stray lock of sunny hair away from Naruto's eyes.

"Have you ever had a blow job?" Sasuke asked getting up to lean over his kyuubi staring into surprised eyes.

"No."

"Good, because it's my turn to return the favor."

Sasuke made love to Naruto being very careful to stay away from buttons that would send Naruto into his nightmares again. Instead of undress the boy himself he watched from the couch as Naruto stripped for him. He let his eyes show just how much he loved watching it.

When Naruto was naked, he asked Naruto to come to him then gently touched and caressed every inch of the muscled flesh before taking Naruto into his mouth and gentle suckling. He didn't touch Naruto anywhere below the waist instead he put his hands behind his back and allowed the fox to guide him.

When Naruto came, Sasuke followed Naruto's lead and swallowed the cum before releasing him. Naruto collapsed to his knees in front of Sasuke and kissed him with all the pent up emotions of nearly ten years. They fell asleep again holding each other.

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You know the drill! Hope you liked it but if not, I don't really care. I love Sasuke and Naruto pairing, it's sexy, sweet, sexy, adorable, sexy, and did I tell you it's sexy!

Thank you everybody

ZEN


	11. Chapter 11

Naruto was walking down the hallway, there was a familiar bounce in his step that had been missing for the longest time. His old friends seeing this smiled feeling a bit of relief at seeing a hint of the old Naruto. They greeted him with warm waves.

Sasuke had taken Naruto out to the training field and they had stated a sparring session which soon became a tournament as others joined. None of it was taken too seriously for now they would just show off. Naruto wasn't willing to fight his comrades, he still had memories that he had a hard time separating from the reality.

And, yes, Naruto was beginning to think that he wasn't in a dream anymore. He had began to hope for the first time that night with Sasuke. A small light was shining in his soul, a light that had nearly been extinguished. It flickered brighter each day and Naruto was terrified that it would be blown out before it even had a chance.

It was like experiencing a warm spring day after a long and bitterly cold winter. And today he wanted to show that to Sasuke. He was going to go out and find something for Sasuke but first he needed to find Sakura and ask her if he could borrow some money, because all his savings were in Konoha.

He passed someone in the hallway without paying attention just brushing passed them as he was lost in his thoughts.

"Naruto?"

The voice was familiar and sent a trickle of fear down his spine. Uneasiness replacing the happiness he was feeling. He slowly turned and saw Sai. His eyes widened and the nightmare returned and the darkness began to take over. Through will power he forced himself to move to run. He sprinted down hallway after hallway until he reached the glass doors of the entry way. Seeing his freedom on the other side, he went through them shattering the glass and causing the people around to gasp in confusion and fear. He leaped to the roof tops and unhindered he blurred then disappeared as he hit full speed.

"Is--?"

"Sasuke!" Sai shouted as he came through the door full tilt.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked exasperated at being interrupted in the middle of a planning meeting.

"Naruto! He's gone!" Sai exclaimed breathing rapidly.

"What do you mean 'he's gone'?!" Dread was settling into his stomach at the panicked look on Sai's face.

"I saw him in the hallway and called out to him. I know that you told me to stay away from him but it was just by chance and he looked happy so I called his name. He saw me, and ran. I figured that he would attack me, I was ready for that, but he looked so scared." Sai explained then flinched as Sasuke shot out of his seat and the chair crashed to the floor.

"I friggin BAKA! He associates you with Danzou and anything to do with that… ARGH!...sends him into a nightmarish exsistance!" Sasuke growled menacing.

"Shit!" Sakura barked. "Everyone we need to do a search of the whole place. Shino!'

The man wearing dark glasses nodded. He, Kiba, and Hinata took captain positions to lead a company of ninja in search of Naruto. They left immediately to see to their teams.

Sasuke and Sakura began talking.

"Anytime Naruto felt a situation was beyond his control or his power, what did he do?" Sasuke asked, already knowing the answer.

"He trained." Sakura confirmed. He nodded.

"So, it stands to reason that as soon as he calms enough to get a handle on his emotions, he will fall back into old habits," Sasuke explained.

"Hai, so we just need to get a direction, he shouldn't go to far." Sakura hoped that she was right.

"I can help b--" Sai began pulling a scroll from his backpack.

"Abslutely not!" Sasuke snarled. "You've done a great job so now you need to get back to your previous mission and quit doing things that are just going to make the situation worse. Naruto wasn't prepared for a meeting with you. We just barely got him back and any more shocks to his system will send him right back into himself. I refuse to let that happen so just stay out of the way, you see him coming and you turn around and head in the opposite direction fast because if this happens again. I will personally take your head off!"

Sasuke stalked from the room with Sakura following closely behind. She threw an apologetic look over her shoulder but she agreed with Sasuke completely on the fact that Naruto shouldn't see Sai right now.

An hour later three teams converged on an area ten miles from town. Sasuke held up a fist that halted the teams.

"Thank you, everyone, but for now I need you to stay here."

He leaped to the ground and proceeded toward a small lake that stood in the middle of a clearing. He could see Naruto's orange t-shirt and blue trousers clearly from where he stood on the edge. Naruto was floating in the middle unmoving and a streamer of fear filled Sasuke. He moved onto the water using the technique that Kakashi had taught him when he was a new genin.

He carefully approached Naruto to see his jewel bright eyes staring up at the sky unseeing all focus turned inward.

"Naruto?" he murmured gentle. The fox's head turned at the sound of his name. He frowned at Sasuke but made no move to get out of the water.

"Why are you trying so hard to save me, Sasuke?" Naruto asked. "I'm nothing, a demon who didn't even know when enough was enough. I couldn't even make it to chunin. I'm still a genin." Naruto snorted out a harsh laugh. "I told everyone that I was going to become Hokage, and I failed. I couldn't even bring you home, my closest friend."

Sasuke sat down on the water next to Naruto. "Naruto, you graduated from the academy by learning to do a jounin level jutsu in just an afternoon. No one could have done that. You worked hard for every acknowledgement that should have been yours in the first place. The Third once said that your father wanted you to be thought of as a hero but all people could see was the monster sealed inside of you. I know of at least ten people who think of you as a hero, myself included. You saved Konoha when the Akatsuki attacked. You made me your friend even when all I could think about was revenge, one that fell far short of satisfying my life. You, Naruto, are worth saving."

Naruto turned away to stare up at the sky again.

"I'm going to have to find the man that owns this field and apologize for the hole I made." Naruto said watch a lazy cloud move across the sky.

"What?" Sasuke asked.

"I made a hole in the middle of this cornfield and filled it with water." Naruto explained with a slow wave of his hand.

Sasuke looked around closer and realized that there were indeed corn stalks floating in the water. His eyes widened as he saw Naruto's power for the first time.

"How the hell--?"

"Rasen-shuiken and water element chakra. I'm out of practice, and I didn't notice where I was when I began training." Naruto dead panned.

"Shit!"

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	12. Chapter 12

I was having a hard time typing this chapter I wasn't sure where it would go and I wasn't sure if it would even go anywhere. It took me three days and then I sat down and started typing tonight and this is what happened. I hope that you enjoy it. I think I'm happy at how it turned out. See you on the flip side.

Oh and I have left any thanks in the last chapter but I do want to thank everyone who reads this.

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"Naruto, I have been avoiding some things that need to be discussed in light of what happened this after noon," Sasuke said he was sitting in a leather office chair. His hands were grasped together under his chin and a familiar brooding expression on his face. It was the same expression that the girls had all thought was cool when they were at the academy. The 'I am untouched by everything around me because I am better than you" expression that had annoyed the hell out of Naruto. It was the expression that Naruto had become accustomed to and loved.

They were gathered around the conference table in the large meeting room. Everyone was sitting at the table with several jounin taking seats against the wall.

Sakura had given Naruto a thorough examination when they had arrived back at the compound. She had been worried that Naruto had over did it with the lake not to mention surprised at the fact that Naruto could use water element chakra. When Danzou had taken the city Naruto had just barely learned to use wind element chakra.

"When you saw Sai earlier…" Sasuke trailed off.

Naruto flinched and his stomach clenched as his chest began to fill with panic. Heart pounding, Naruto fought the fear pushing it back, conquering it. "Why…why…was he here? He's…D—D…_his_…right hand. Everything _he_ asks Sai carried out."

"We know what position Sai is in. He is in the greatest possible position to help us and he is our agent within Danzou's organization." Sasuke explained.

"We weren't getting anywhere in gather information, every time we captured one of his subordinates, they killed themselves. About eight months ago we got a miraculously lucky break. Sai found us and told us that he was willing to become our agent." Sakura continued picking up the thread. "He was the reason that we were able to get you out of Konoha. He brought us the movements of Danzou's men through out the Fire Country and within Konoha. He's risked his life for _you_, Naruto."

"Okay, I understand all of that, but how are we going to get past the fact that every time I see him I want to run as fast and as far away from him as possible?" Naruto asked his eyes dropping to the ground as the mere mention of Danzou made him shudder, terrified him beyond reason. "I'm useless, powerless, weak."

"No, Naruto, you aren't but we have to get past the conditioning that Danzou instilled in you and we are going to have to do it quickly." Sasuke leaned forward in his chair. "I'm thinking that we will just keep going in the direction that we are but with slight differences. If making you face your past has helped then we just keep going in that direction."

Naruto shook his head, he didn't want to go there, and he didn't want them to see the monster that had been created. He didn't want Sasuke to see the helpless, pathetic creature that Danzou had created. He didn't want Sasuke to reject that feeble, puny person that begged for food and allowed degrading things to be done just for a sip of water. He wouldn't survive if Sasuke turned away from him in disgust. His agitation rose and he wanted to hide, before Sasuke could see it.

Sasuke stood and went to the door, opened it and Sai stepped into the room, his dark brown eyes meeting Naruto's. Memories rose in Naruto's mind and he found himself on his feet before the thought even registered.

There were images of Sai standing in the corner of a white room as Danzou approached the restrained boy. He saw Sai coming forward to hold him down as a syringe was pushed into his arm. Sai standing in front of Danzou, an impassive, emotionless look on his face as the demon rushed forward to tear the old man apart; Sai lifting his arm and backhanding the boy before he could get within reach; ordering the men in white masks to chain him to the wall. The man giving orders that the kyuubi wasn't to have food or water until he learned a little obedience. The last image that rose from the hazy mist on Naruto's mind was of Sai looking back at Naruto with pity in his eyes.

Naruto tensed and he began to tremble, fighting the flight syndrome that Danzou had carefully instilled in the kyuubi. The demon emerged turning Naruto's eyes blood red.

"Sai," the demon snarled using Naruto's mouth. A deep growl emerged from Naruto's chest as the whisker marks on Naruto's face deepened and his finger nails lengthened into claws.

Sai swallowed and stepped back causing the demon before him to chuckle menacingly.

"Very nice," the demon hissed, "I'm glad I can scare you."

Sasuke leapt to Naruto's side and set a calm, gentle hand on the demon's shoulder. He felt the heat that radiated from the demon nearly burning his hand.

"Naruto, please come back. Don't let the demon take over," he said softly gently.

The fox's eyes widened swiftly turning to Sasuke and jerking away.

"No!" he howled, "I will kill any of Danzou's men. And I will do it without that wimp getting in the way."

"Naruto," Sakura came up to stand beside Sasuke, "remember. You wanted to do things without the demon; you wanted to do everything with your own power."

The demon howled again. It picked up a chair next to it, roared, and then threw it across the room. Jounin scattered under the onslaught of the demon fox's fury.

"Naruto! You fought and won against the demon!" Sasuke shouted. "You said you didn't want to hurt anyone again. Do you remember?" His own eyes went red as he dodged another chair. He had been inside Naruto's head once but he didn't want to be the one to dissipate the demon's possession.

Suddenly the demon dropped to the floor holding his head snarling.

"You wimp ass kid, you always used to say lend me your power. You begged; told me it was payment for rent. I gave it to you until those weaklings began to tell you, you didn't need it that you could do it on your own." The demon's deep voice raged.

"I don't need you anymore!" Naruto's husky voice countered the harshly evil one and the claws receded. "I'm strong enough!" The whiskers became just lines. "I'm powerful enough to face what comes!" The eyes flashed to blue then back to red. "I have friends, comrades, precious people who you will not hurt anymore!" The blue eyes emerged. "And as long as they stand with me, I will defeat you and anyone else to keep them and Konoha safe." Naruto looked up at Sasuke; he still trembled from the inner combat with the demon. He smiled at Sasuke, a full smile, a Naruto smile. "And I believe that this isn't a dream."

Sasuke blinked back the sudden tears that stung his eyes. He watched Naruto stand and shake off the trembling. He saw Naruto's chin lift in the old defiance. He heard Naruto's determination in his words.

"I am Uzumaki Naruto, son of the Fourth Hokage of Konoha, and I will return to Konoha and defeat Danzou! Believe it!" He held out his fist.

"What a baka!" Sasuke said as he stepped forward, but his own fist raised to meet Naruto's. Sakura, wearing tears and a huge grin stepped forward also her own fist connected with theirs.

"Hell YEAH!"

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Short chapter I know but I had to end it on that note. Please leave a comment, suggestion, or even a Hi.

Thanks for reading

ZEN


	13. Chapter 13

Okay kiddies, this is Adult Only Material so don't read just wait until the net chapter. For the rest of you please enjoy. I hope this satisfies your cravings for a little yaoi but if you don't like it don't read it and wait for the next chapter.

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Sasuke closed the door behind him watching the small bounce in Naruto's foot steps as the blond sauntered across the room. Naruto was returning to a hyper active state that had annoyed Sasuke in the past but Sasuke was happy to see it for once. Naruto swung around and grinned at Sasuke the pulled his shirt off.

Sasuke watched seeing the muscular abdomen with the shadow of a six pack emerging followed by Naruto's upper chest with the planes of hard pectorals and tight tendons. He licked his lips wanting to touch, to kiss, to feel the surface of velvet lining the steel underneath.

Naruto eye lids were at half mast as he moved to Sasuke and captured the man's lips, nipping and biting until Sasuke opened his lips fully. Then he dueled with Sasuke's tongue for dominance. He grasped Sasuke's hair and yanked it back so that his throat was exposed.

Sasuke's eyes fluttered shut at the display of mastery that Naruto was putting on. He groaned at the tugging on his hair, and the fist that was tightly clinging to him. He felt Naruto's mouth bit at his throat, his arms came around Naruto and gripped Naruto's shoulders as Naruto reached the hollow just behind his ear, goose bumps rising at the tickling sensation that sent a spike deep into Sasuke's stomach and hardened his penis even more. He had been half way aroused when Naruto had stood in the office and reappeared.

Naruto's other hand brushed down his back and gripped Sasuke's ass bringing their fronts into contact with each other and wrenching a deep noise from Sasuke. He felt the hard length pressing against his and hitched his hips to rub against that bulge a little more. He set his teeth into Sasuke's shoulder and began rocking against him.

Sasuke pulled back slightly then took Naruto's face in between his hands and devoured Naruto's mouth.

"God, Naruto, please, I can't take much more," Sasuke moaned as Naruto lithe fingers began to undo the buttons on the front of his trousers. He reached in and grasped Sasuke, his fist pumping up and down as Sasuke jerked his hips.

"Sasuke, just a little more, I need to feel you just a little more."

Sasuke felt the heat in his head swell like a bubble as the pleasure soared through him taking him higher. He reached down and undid Naruto's jeans feeling the heated steel of him.

'Naruto, please, let me try this time. God, I want to feel you around me," Sasuke whimpered and fought to hold back.

"Okay, okay, I think I can do this." Naruto pulled away from Sasuke and turned. Sasuke stopped him from dropping to the ground on his hands and knees.

"Wait." Sasuke move around to Naruto's front and fell to the ground. His lips found the tip and Naruto and sucked him into his mouth, pulling him in deeply then bobbing his head. "Remember me," he said as he looked up into turbulent blue eyes. He let go then sucked on his own fingers until he had built up a good amount of saliva, then he separated Naruto's cheeks and found the tightly puckered hole.

Naruto bucked against him as he resumed licking Naruto's dick. His fingers played with Naruto, pushing at the opening, messaging it waiting for the muscles to relax. Then he pushed one finger in smiling when he heard the gasp.

"It's okay. Does it hurt?" he asked. Naruto couldn't answer so he shook his head. The sensation rocketed straight to his head and leaving him trembling.

Sasuke slid the whole digit deep into the crevice and found the hard knot of nerves then rubbed against it.

"God, Sasuke, that feels so good," Naruto moaned and rocked his hips into the sucking mouth pushing deep into the man's throat.

Sasuke added a second finger then worked them in and out always bumping up against the prostate gland. He felt Naruto's muscles loosen and the wetness of lubrication beginning to coat his fingers. He pushed deeper then pulled out slightly as he added a third.

"Naruto, you're so tight that it's making me crazy."

Sasuke pulled his fingers from the orifice then pulled Naruto down to the ground. He lifted the boy's hips up and thrust into him. The stretching sensation cause Naruto to try and grind into Sasuke's groin but the angle was wrong. He gritted his teeth.

"More, harder, Sasuke," Naruto asked, his hands clenching by his side digging into the carpeting of the floor. He distantly heard the tearing as he shredded the rug.

Sasuke began a quick rhythm that quickly took them to a higher plain of pleasure. He felt Naruto trembling under him and the corners of his lips turned up in satisfaction. Ne quickened the pace and reached forward to grasp Naruto in his hand pumping him in time to his strokes.

"Shit! Sasuke, I'm going to come," Naruto hissed out feeling the tight grip that Sasuke had on him.

"Don't," Sasuke said his voice a low seduction. Naruto clenched his fists and strained to hold onto his orgasm as the man above him asked. His head became light and filled with white light and still he didn't come.

Sasuke shifted them so that he had a better angle at reaching the little knot at the back of the passage he was running in and out of.

"Sasuke," Naruto panted, "please."

"Just a few seconds longer," Sasuke said.

"Please, NOW, I can't hold it any longer."

"Then since you asked so nicely. Now!"

Naruto shouted as his let go. His cum coated Sasuke's hand and his belly then he felt Sasuke shoot into him and it rocketed him into another orgasm.

Sasuke rolled off of him and stood on shaky legs. He went to the bathroom and ran a cloth under warm water, wrung it out, and brought it back to his kitsune who lay exhausted with his eyes closed. Sasuke knelt down and began to clean them both up.

"You don't have to do that," Naruto said, peeking at the man. He felt content and didn't want to move letting Sasuke wipe off the ejaculate from his stomach.

"I know, but I want to," Sasuke reached up to run his fingers through the soft blond locks in a gesture of affection.

"I love you, Sasuke."

Sasuke froze. He stared at the boy in stunned silence then dropped his head and closed his eyes. He had wanted to hear the words, for his whole life he had prayed that one day someone would say them to him. Unable to say the words back because of the lump in his throat Sasuke threw the cloth across the room and began to make love to his Naruto again.

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I hope that you aren't blushing too much or have fainted but if your have I'll wait until you wake up. But if you haven't fallen to the floor with a nose bleed please leave a review. If you don't I will assume that your unconscious and will call an ambulance at my convenience. (You'll be waiting a long time by the way.)

Loves and hugs

ZEN


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N** Sorry for the delay in getting a new chapter out. I was concentrating on finishing Your Hand in Mine and then the new story was occupying my head. Well I hope that you enjoy this next chapter. I have a feeling that this is going to be a short story but it goes the way it wants to.

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Naruto stood in the trees watching the shadows that moved up and down the walls of the high gate that surrounded Konoha. Sasuke crouched in a nearby tree waiting for the perfect moment to strike. They had been training for this going over every scenario and possible outcome for the last two months. Every detail drilled into the teams that were positioned around the Leaf Village.

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke were teamed together just like old times. They would be later joined by Sai if things went well. Shikamaru had pointed out that if Sai was missing for too long then Danzou would become suspicious and they would have a harder time trying to infiltrate the village quietly.

The plan was that they go in silently and set up positions in strategic places so as to decrease the amount of innocent lives taken. They also wanted to warn as many people that may be sympathetic to their cause as possible. If there were any ninja that were still loyal to Tsunade then they would be given a chance to fight, but anyone else would be removed from commission or killed. Unfortunately, they couldn't afford to be merciful and take a knife in the back.

Naruto's team would go in first, their main priority would be to get to Iruka and everyone that had helped them out of the village if they were still alive. Naruto prayed that his former teacher was well, along with Konohamaru. He was looking forward to seeing them.

Naruto pulled a kunai from his pouch and readied for the signal. Sasuke raised a hand then made a forward motion with two fingers. Sakura leaped easily to the roof and slipped over the side, then Sasuke and finally Naruto. Once in the shadows on the far side of the roof they took a breath before shifting positions staying in the deeper darkness.

They passed house after house and slid into a door way to a small apartment building. Sasuke checked the map that he had been given and mounted the stairs to the third floor. They moved down the hallway coming to the end apartment where Naruto tapped the door twice. The door cracked open and a brown eye peered out in suspicion. The eye bulged at seeing who was there. Konohamaru opened the door quickly stepping back to allow them inside.

"Naruto!" he hissed quietly, then grasped the older boy in a hug. "What the hell are you guys doing here?"

Naruto returned the hug before stepping back. "We've come to make sure that your alright. Have you seen Iruka-sensei?"

Konohamaru grinned and nodded. "He's upstairs under house arrest. They think that he helped you escape, which he did but no one is talking. You've come to get Konoha back haven't you; you're going to be the next Hokage for sure!"

"Shh, keep it down," Sakura warned from her position next to the window. She was staying out of sight while watching for any motion that would indicate that they had been noticed coming into the city.

"Can we get into see him?" Naruto questioned.

"Sure, let me get a few things together and get some messages out. I can get Moegi and Udon here in seconds." Konohamaru pulled out a radio, pressing the button he said, "Base to pigeon?"

"Pigeon, here. Something's up outside, I've spotted some movement."

"Yeah, I need you and Udon here now, over."

"Roger." Static replaced the female voice.

They could hear light footsteps outside, then the door opened to permit two people to slip through. A teenage girl with orange-red hair pulled up into spiked pig tails and a young man wearing thick glasses who sniffed a lot. Within a few minutes of their arrival, Konohamaru had dispatched is teammates to various places in the building to arrange for a meeting. Then he showed them to the upstairs apartment where Iruka was staying.

Iruka was overjoyed to seen his adopted son and pulled him into a hug. "Naruto, I wasn't sure I would be able to see you again, or it Sasuke could perform this miracle." Tears ran unchecked down the older man's face as he held Naruto back at arms length. Naruto teared up too.

"I was sure that one day they would bring you in to see me," Naruto said in his husky voice before ducking his head.

"You wouldn't have killed me," Iruka said confidently. "I would have taken my own life before I would put you through that."

Soon Iruka's apartment was full of people. Kurenai, Genma, Raidou, Iwashi, and many others showed up to see the miracle of Naruto's return and to help with the raid in any way that they could. Sasuke organized them into units and handed over wireless radios that were fastened around the neck. Then he briefed them on the plan.

"When I fire the flares over the city then we will attack. We need to take down the ROOT first, as many as possible. They are priority; because we don't have any information of them this isn't going to be an easy task. I'm hoping that with surprise on our side then we'll have an advantage," Sasuke told them.

"Leave ROOT to us, we do know what most of their abilities are," Genma said and nodded to a group of jounin behind him. Sasuke nodded then returned to his briefing.

"Shikamaru," a gasp came from Kurenai. "Yes, he's alive. Shikamaru will be at base keeping track of the reports that we will be sending back. He's in charge of coming up with strategy so keep him busy with as much information as you can supply.

"There are others stationed through out the city trying to get friends and family to safe places so that they don't get hurt during the fighting. If you find anyone able and willing to help out then the better our chances are of success."

The groups dispersed into the city and Team Seven made their way to the place that they had been assigned, the area closest to the Hokage Tower. Once in position, Sasuke looked at his teammates and smiled.

"Once more for Kakashi!" he whispered then held his hand out. Naruto place his on top, followed by Sakura. "For Kakashi!"

Sasuke raise the launcher and shot the first of three flares into the sky followed quickly by two more. The flares lit up the sky causing the alarm to be raised. As soon as that was accomplished, ten ninja outside the city raised a barrier that would remain in place until the city was taken or they knew that it had been a failure.

They were surrounded within seconds by ninja ordered to protect the city. More than a few were terrified to see the sight of Naruto, the demon. Naruto smiled and launched himself into the fray, kunai, throwing stars, fists, and feet flying. Sasuke pulled his sword and joined him with Sakura and her mighty fists.

Naruto ducked a kunai that was aimed at his face then countered by bringing his knee up into the man's stomach and his fist down on to the back of a neck, hearing a satisfying crack. He spun on the balls of his feet pulling three stars and sent them flying at another's back as he fought with Sasuke. He didn't wait to see if they had landed but engaged the next ninja that appeared before him. Using his chakra he produced a Rasengan and pushed it into the ninja's stomach sending the man crashing into the building. Naruto heard a grunt behind him and turned in time to see Sakura crush the nin that she was fighting. He grinned at her then was distracted by ten more shinobi appearing.

They fought their way toward the Tower but for every ninja that they took down it seemed as if five more were there to take the fallen ones place. Sasuke pulled out a scroll, his eyes blazing red, and produced a massive Shuriken which he sent into a crowd of enemies. Sakura occupied five more with a genjutsu that paralyzed the victims.

Naruto dodged an exploding tag and slashed the throat of the warrior in from of him grim faced. He put his hands together and summoned twenty kage bushin who immediately joined the fracas taking some of the pressure of the three fighting already.

"Now! Sakura!" Naruto shouted engaging the men surrounding her to give her time.

Sakura pulled a huge scroll of her back that she had bee carrying and pulled it open. She dropped to the ground, bit her thumb and began to make hands signs. She made them slowly not used to the motions and concentrated her chakra into her hands. Once the preparation has finished she placed her palm in the center of the circle surrounded by a summoning seal. A shadow clone appeared only to be dispersed in a cloud of smoke as Naruto absorbed the clone back into him.

His appearance changes as orange rings appeared around eyes that had gone yellow with horizontal slits. The nin that remembered the time five years before retreated a few paces allowing the others to test Naruto's abilities. Naruto's speed increased as well as his strength and it took ten seconds for the ninja that surrounded him to be incapacitated.

A tall thin man stepped forward from the group, his face twisted into a mask of evil and he addressed Naruto.

"Naruto, my kitsune," the man purred and Naruto froze in his tracks remembering the man. "I've been looking forward to your return." The nature chakra that Naruto held dissipated in the face of his fear at seeing this man. Sasuke stood at his shoulder and glanced in confusion at his friend's reaction.

They had trained hard for Naruto to overcome his fear at facing ANBU masked men and even Sai, they had anticipated coming face to face with people that had hurt Naruto, but Sasuke realized that this man was someone that they hadn't anticipated. For some reason this man had hurt Naruto more that anyone else and Sasuke wondered in what way.

He placed a hand on Naruto shoulder only to have the boy flinch away from his touch.

"Naruto, you are strong, remember that," the raven murmured into Naruto's ear. Naruto shuddered.

The man in front of them laughed. "I see that my training still remains, they don't know what I've done to you, my little pet."

"Shut up," Sakura shouted starting forward only to have Sasuke's arm come up to stop her.

"This must be Naruto's fight," he said his face shifting into a stoic expression.

Naruto felt the panic rise inside him at facing this man. He had been the first, Yutaka Takeshi. The name rose into Naruto's conscious with insidious malice behind it. He swallowed convulsively. This man before him was the reason that his voice had been broken and was now a husky rasp.

"What do you want?" he asked, gather his courage and refusing to let the panic settle in.

"I want my toy back, if you must know. It would be a shame to let all the training I gave you to be uke go to waste," Takeshi said. The men at his back laughed enjoying the sight of the boy's terror. This boy had been used as a threat to keep them in line and it made them feel more comfortable facing him to know that he had been used in such a humiliating fashion.

Naruto's hand clenched into fists. "I'll never go back to being you toy." He listened to his body felt the demon step into the light behind the bars of the cage and growl menacingly. _No, I don't need you. I can handle this offensive second son alone._

The demon settled back but didn't go away. _I'll be here if you need me, I to have a reason to want to kill him._

Naruto nodded. He felt his heart beat slow as he pushed the anger away and concentrated on his chakra. His hand slid behind him palm up and Sasuke stepped forward. Sakura pulled the scroll so that the next seal was open and began preparing to summon another clone from the toad's hidden mountain. The chakra gathered into Naruto's palm and he held it as it heated up growing stronger the longer he held it.

Takeshi narrowed his eyes as he noticed that Naruto wasn't afraid anymore a frown turning his thin lips down. The bastard stared at Naruto with unwanted knowledge tinting his eyes.

Naruto tensed then sprung with a speed that made him invisible to the naked eye. He rushed the man pulling his arm from behind him to send the Rasengan he held their into the fucker's face. His head exploded with a shower of blood as the remainder of his body jerked. The jutsu was so powerful that it disintegrated the head without even moving the body. Takeshi's lifeless corpse dropped to the ground and the rest of the ninja that had been standing with him scattered.

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Well, how did you like it? Please leave a review and I hope that I'll have the next chapter out sooner than this one.

If you have any suggestion about the fight seen with Danzou you can PM me and perhaps I'll include them, especially if you have an idea about what kind of animal he can summon.

Oh and if there are any misspellings or grammar errors you can PM me with them also and I'll try to fix them.

Thank you everyone

ZEN


	15. Chapter 15

"Naruto, are you all right?" Sasuke asked coming up next to him, dropping his hand onto his lover's shoulder. He felt the muscles tense then relax as Naruto drew in a deep breath then he turned and smile at the raven.

"Yeah, I'm good, actually," Naruto remarked, feeling a piece of his heart heal having faced a part of his nightmare and conquering it.

Sakura came up on the other side of him her hand finding his and giving it a squeeze.

"That was amazing. Gruesome, but still amazing," she said.

Sasuke heard a buzzing in his ear and listened closely as the teams reported in.

"ROOT division has been neutralized…"

"Konoha citizens have been taken to the cliff and are safe…"

"20 Jounin and 30 chuunin have joined ranks…"

Shikamaru's voice came over the wireless. "Last objective?"

"Heading to tower now," Sasuke said pressing the transmit button. "All teams remain in current positions. Team seven is moving into place, Kakashi Style Team Work in place."

Naruto remembered the time when Kakashi had told them to stay back and guard the bridge builder.

"Don't interfere. That will be our team work here," he had said giving them each a hard look.

The Hokage Tower as the citizens of Konoha liked to call it, was a massive building that housed the interrogation center, dungeons, and the Hokage's office. It stood under the Hokage heads in a majestic display of power.

Under the cover of darkness the three entered the main gate and slipped through the shadows towards the main doors. They frozen when the realized that five people were standing in front of the doors. Four people wearing ANBU masks and the old man, him self.

The man in front had half his head bandaged that covered one eye. He wore a short sword at his hip and one arm was covered by a blanket like robe, while the other was occupied with a cane.

"Sai," the old man said addressing a tall man on his right, "execute these missing-nins."

The tall man pushed his mask up and stepped away from Danzou. He shook head, shook short, dark hair swinging with the movement.

"I'm sorry, Donzou-senpai," Sai said, and dropped the mask to the ground where it cracked in half. "I'm unable to comply with orders." He moved forward until he was standing with his team mates. "I can not move against the people that I have created a bond with."

Danzou's eye widened in astonishment. His cane struck the stone steps as it fell from fingers that had numbed with shock.

"You'll be declared a traitor and executed along with this trash," the old man exclaimed. He couldn't believe what he was hearing from the one person that he had always thought of as a son that he wasn't able to have. "Your brother wouldn't want you to betray your oaths."

"My brother wouldn't want me to betray my friends," Sai exclaimed as an angry expression appeared on his face for the first time, voluntarily. He didn't have to wonder about what he should be feeling or how to react to the situation, he reacted, pulling his sword from the scabbard that was strapped to his shoulder.

Danzou addressed the three shinobi behind him, "Execute them!" He stepped back as the ninja rushed forward. They pulled swords from their belts so that they carried one in each hand.

Sasuke stepped in front of Naruto pulling his own, long sword out. The thin blade lighting up as Sasuke channeled his Chidori through it. The ROOT member jumped back as Sasuke brought his sword up. He smiled at the ninja, "I'm your opponent!"

Sai and Sakura were also engaged in fighting.

Sai had pulled a scroll and was currently trying to capture his combatant with snakes but the man was easily dodging them.

Sakura high jumped and sent a half a dozen kunai flying at her opponent with exploding tags. The ninja dodged and sent several star whizzing at Sakura's head.

"Naruto! Get Danzou!," Sasuke yelled back stepping and ducking swipes of the sword.

Naruto turned his attention to the old man. He didn't really think it was fair that he was getting the weakest person in the group, but he had a mission to accomplish and maybe even a little revenge. But he pushed that thought aside. Vengeance accomplished nothing but pain.

"Old man, you will surrender," Naruto addressed him.

Danzou smiled a fake smile his eyes crinkled at the corners. "I don't think so. I am Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaf, a position that should have been mine but Sarotobi usurped it. I will not give it up easily." He brushed the robe off his shoulder and using his, working, left arm pulled the sword.

Naruto drew a kunai, "If you persist you will lose."

"Ever the braggart, Naruto, but I have watched your progress and you remain weak, if you can't kill." Danzou smirked at the boy. Danzou lifted his hands and made several hand signs in a blur of motion then lifted his right hand to his mouth. A plume of fire shot out at Naruto, almost white in its intensity. Naruto jumped and made his own sign to produce five kage bunshin.

The five clones rushed the old man with kunai drawn. Danzou swung his sword up and countered each of the clones attack. His feet moved in swift pattern and he thrust his sword through one after the other until the last exploded in a cloud of smoke. He smiled at Naruto.

"Your not the only one who knows how to us that technique." The movement of Danzou's hands were too swift to follow but soon their were five clones of the old man standing next to him.

They attacked Naruto driving him back, making it impossible to Naruto to do anything other than defend himself. He felt a hot heat on his upper arm and glancing down he saw that one of Danzou's clones had gotten in a hit. His arm went numb making him realize that it had been a deep cut. He back flipped an leaped into a tree. Panting heavily he surveyed the five men on the ground. He was going to have to draw in the Senjutsu without the help of a clone. Which meant he was going to have to focus on looking left and right at the same time.

Drawing in a deep breath he began to divide his mind, tried to concentrate on two things, something he had been unable to do when he was younger. He felt the burning in his eyes as they shifted to blood red and he allowed the demon fox to take care of the clones, his body shifting into a high gear that was impossible to follow with the naked eye. He dispatched the clones with multiple attacks. Meanwhile, the self that wasn't taken over by the fox concentrated of merging his chakra and nature's chakra. He smiled feeling the power flowing in and out of him.

The skin surrounding his eyes and his eye lids turned to a dark orange color while the toad eyes began to take over the blood red. Once the last clone had disappeared, he swiftly made hand signs and made ten clones to keep Danzou occupied while two more stayed behind and began to merge Rasengan and his wind element chakra into one. The ball spun faster and a high pitched whine developed as the wind joined the chakra.

He lifted his arm into the air, seeing Danzou being grabbed by two of the clones. He growled low in his throat a fierce need to see the man, who had caused such misery, destroyed. His lip pulled up into a sneer as he sent the Rasen-shuriken spinning towards the old man.

Dazou's eyes widened seeing the powerful jutsu coming at him. At the last second he shook off the clones and leaped out of the way.

"So using an S-rank justu like that calls for a similar retaliation." Danzou twisted his hand together and then one shot skyward. "Dragon's Flame!"

A column of white light shot into the shy and a dragon's head appeared at the forefront of the cylinder and it twisted about to come rushing at Naruto. A deafening roar coming from the dragon's snout as it gained speed in its downward decent. It crashed into the trees setting the area into a blaze.

Naruto barely managed to leap away then turned to face the next attack from the oncoming fire jutsu. He pulled a scroll swiftly knowing that he had only a few seconds before the dragon would be upon him again. He bit his thumb and swiped the drops across the scroll. "Sealing Water Barrier!"

A thick wall of water rushing into the air as Naruto dropped the scroll and jumped away as the dragon hit the huge wall and disintegrated into a steaming cloud. The wall fell creating a large muddy field.

Naruto turned his attention back to Danzou to see the man was now bearing a flaming fan in his hand. He felt a moment of shock because this was the first time he had witnessed anyone able to carry fire in such a fashion. Usually fire jutsu was shot at something but not carried.

"Pheonix Plume!" Danzou hollered and ran at Naruto swinging the flame fan around in a similar manner that Temari used with her fan. Naruto dodged but felt a searing wind brush his back. He hissed as the skin blistered and his clothing burned. Rolling to put out the flames Naruto came up to his feet.

"Shit!" he swore as he realized that he wouldn't be able to get close to fight Danzou, at least not while the old man was carrying that fan. Not only that but the wind produced by the fan was used as a long range weapon. He racked his brain trying to come up with a solution.

He could summon Gamatatsu and use a water spout, but that would endanger the toad if he wasn't quick enough. He had another water barrier scroll but he didn't want to waste it. And using any form of his wind chakra would only help Danzou. His mind lit on one jutsu that he had heard about and had begun training on during his time of imprisonment.

He began to produce the hand signs but was a little clumsy. Reaching the last he brought his hands together with a loud clap.

"Kakaku's house!" he shouted, feeling the chakra burst from him as four walls enclosed him along with a roof. The water had formed a house around him, a complete defense against the fire justu that Danzou was using.

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**A/N**--Okay, Okay. I'm apologizing now if you think it sucked. I know I should have more confidence in my writing but this is my first ninja fight scene. I've been putting this off but decided today that I was just going to have to jump in feet first and give it a shot. It's a short chapter but I have lots of other things planned for the next so maybe *finger's crossed* it will be longer.

Whew, now please let me know what you think again if you have any suggestions you can PM me. LEAVE A REVIEW, I'M BEGGING YOU, let me know what you think, even if it's just a 'its okay' it helps with the creative flow to know what you people think. *having a hard time suppressing rude and offensive comments* My mom always taught me to be tackful at the least and if I couldn't say anything nice then not to say anything at all and I'm begining to think that perhaps you don't like my stories. :(

BUT for all of you that do and leave a review I am sending you a mental LOLLY of your favorite flavor (even if it is jalapeno) so enjoy the sucker and keep reading and reviewing.

Enough with the gossip,

LOVE YOU ALL

ZEN

NEXT UPDATE COMING SOON, I HOPE!!


	16. Chapter 16

Under the protection of the water, Naruto bit his thumb and summoned Gamakichi and Gamatatsu into the house.

"Yo, Naruto, long time no see," Gamakichi said with a wave of his webbed foot.

"Do you have any snacks?" Gamatatsu asked looking around.

The two barely fit in the house having grown a lot in the past five years. Naruto looked stunned but he guessed that he shouldn't have thought that they would remain the same size as last time, like small compact cars.

"Gamakichi, Gamatatsu," Naruto greeted, "yeah, it's been five years."

Gamakichi looked around and spotted the old man on the far side of the wall of water, holding the flame fan.

"Is that…?" he asked.

"Yeah, Danzou. I need to use Gamatatsu's water spout, do you think you still remember how to do it?" Naruto looked at the light orange toad.

"Sure, but I'm hungry," Gamatatsu whined trying to turn in the enclosed space and not succeeding very well.

"I'll get Shima to fix you a nice snack when we're done," Naruto said as he climbed the toads back and settled into place. "Here's the plan, we're going to build up the chakra and hold it inside of you until the last possible moment, and then as soon as I let the wall drop I want you to aim for that fan. We need to put it out."

"You know, Naruto, that he can just as easily summon it again," Gamakichi said pulling a Yakashi sword from his belt. The gesture reminded Naruto of Gamabunta, that Naruto felt an assurance that they would win. They always had in the past even against Pein/Negato.

"Yeah, I know." Naruto held his hands to the damp back of the toad and closed his eyes feeling the chakra begin to charge, his hands beginning to warm with the flow he was sending into the toad.

"Ready," Naruto asked, and received a nod from the toad who was gathering himself to spit.

"Now!"

Two things happened at once, the water house dispersed and Gamatatsu send a spout of water shooting toward Danzou. The old man dived out of the way of the shot but the fan dissipated as his concentration was broken.

"Ha," the old man taunted, as he regained his feet, "Old tricks, Naruto, but here is a new one for you." The hands blurred as he whipped through the hand signs then bit his thumb pressing it to the ground in a summoning technique.

A second later a Komodo dragon appeared flattening the area where he stood around the tower crushing houses and businesses to make room for its colossal body. The green lizard released a low pitched rumble that shook the ground.

Naruto stared up at the monster feeling a surge of rage begin to simmer in his gut but suppressed it.

"I think your going to need Dad, Naruto," Gamakichi muttered as he too looked up at the lizard.

"Yeah."

Naruto began the hand signs only to be distracted when the lizard whipped its tail toward the three, making them dodge. Then the earth began to tremble as the dragon lifted its feet doing a stomping dance. Danzou added his chakra to the lizards and the earth broke apart lifting or falling. Naruto was pitched into a deep crevice; he grabbed at roots and rocks trying to concentrate his chakra but unable to get a grip. It reminded him of the time Jiraya had tossed him into the canyon in order for him to summon a toad for the first time. Using the time he had gained while falling Naruto summoned the Toad Chief.

"Naruto, what do you think your doing summoning me to such a place again," Gamabunta growled menacingly leg outstretched gripping the walls.

"I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do," Naruto apologized. "I was trying to summon you before but Danzou's dragon broke the earth and I had to take advantage of the time."

"Hmph," the toad grunted, "you should show more respect for your superior." The toad leaped into the air then landed lightly of the ground before the dragon. "Ah, Danzou has summoned Tamo. He holds an earth chakra so we are at an advantage. The old man obviously doesn't know anything about you, does he?"

Gamabunta's words worked a miracle on Naruto making him realize that the toad was correct. Danzou didn't know anything about Naruto having kept him in a cage for the last five years.

"You're absolutely right," Naruto smiled with a new confidence.

Having disabled his opponent Sasuke stood next to Sakura on the remains of the gate watching the fight that was going on before them. Sakura had taken out her ANBU, Sai as well. His heart pounded as he saw Naruto fall into the deep the whole that the dragon had made. He had readied to dive in after the dobe, but Sakura's hand had found his, preventing him from going to the rescue of his lover.

"Wait," she had said simply with a smile, "Naruto is quite capable of getting out of the situation."

He'd nodded.

The baka had summoned the boss toad. Sasuke had breathed a sign of relief when they had leaped from the mini canyon to land in front of the dragon. He wanted to smack his head for forgetting that Naruto had the capability of summoning the boss toad. Sasuke left his hand in Sakura's drawing comfort from her touch. It had been so long since the camaraderie of friendship had been his, but Naruto had brought it back and he was so thankful to the idiot.

Sasuke could tell that the toad and Naruto were making plans and the two smaller ones leaped up next to them on the gate.

"Now, you're going to see something," Gamakichi said in confidence.

With plans done the boss toad fired a mouthful of some yellow substance at the giant lizard, followed by Naruto throwing a tag that ignited the frog oil engulfing the dragon and his summoner. Then the boss toad drew his yakuza sword and leaped for the dragon. The lizard reared up on two legs having shook of the flames. The sword was stopped mid swing.

"Not good enough, Gamabunta," the lizard rumbled, "you know that the flames don't hurt me."

"Oh," the boss said, "but it was s good distraction." The frog said pushing the lizard who slid back easily because the ground was soaked with water turning the dirt to mud.

"When…"

"Just as you blocked." The toad laughed. "Your summoner doesn't know the first thing about mine!"

Naruto sat in complete stillness atop the toads head as he pulled more of the Senjutsu into him.

The frog tipped the dragon but the beast retaliated by moving the wet earth into a hill around the toads legs making it impossible to move. "I have more than one trick up my sleeve," the beast roared. The dragon pushed his feet under him and whipped his tail around connecting with the toad's head sending him flying back to crash several yards away.

Naruto nearly tumbled to the ground which would have caused him a permanent injury or even death had he not caught himself on the frogs nostril.

"Shit," the boss toad muttered them righted his body. "Naruto, I need something with teeth and claws."

"Right," Naruto said, gathering his chakra he concentrated on an image of a beast with claws, the nine tails.

The frog immediately picked up on the image and transformed into it. With four legs and nine whipping tails the boss toad ran at the dragon. His mouth opened as sank into the dragons shoulder ripping and tearing a chuck out of the beast while his claws dug into the tender belly shredding the scaled flesh.

The dragon fought back but was unable to loosen the clapped jaws of the demon wolf. Instead he broke the summons and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

The toad groaned as the weakness fell over him.

"Sorry, Naruto, the transformation always takes a lot out of me," the toad muttered and followed the dragon's example.

Naruto stood panting on the wet ground looking around for Danzou. He spotted the man leaning against a tree.

"Do you surrender old man?" Naruto asked approaching him.

"No," the old man snarled, and then he waved a hand.

Before Naruto stood Sakura, her stomach ripped open blood pouring from her mouth. Her hands were pressed to her stomach holding her intestines in.

"Look what you did," she said in a ghostly whisper lifting one hand covered in blood that dripped to the earth staining it red.

"No, no, I didn't it's just an illusion," he whispered as the nightmare immerged again. He clapped his hand to his face then pressed them together in front of him. He stopped the flow of chakra then redirected it as he had been taught so long ago by Jiraya.

"Naruto, why did you do this?" Shikamaru asked. Naruto opened his eyes unable to help himself. The lazy man stood before him his chest torn open and his heart laboring in the open.

One by one the rest of his friends appeared to join the ghastly images each worse that the last. Each had their hands out in supplication their voices raised in accusation.

"NONONONO!!!" he screamed his hands pressing to his head. The dream he had held on to for so long gone.

Sasuke watched as Naruto crumpled to the ground and Danzou push away from the tree. He leaped to the ground knowing that no matter how fast he could push his body that Danzou would reach Naruto first. In slow motion he watched the old man raise his sword into the air.

"NO!" he screamed, "Naruto, I love you, please fight!"

Distantly, Naruto heard the words. "Sasuke?" He watched the figures blur and then they were gone and he was staring at the ground with trees surrounding him. From the corner of his eye he saw Danzou standing over him with the katana poised to bring it down to sever his head. The sword began to fell.

Danzou's hand halted in mid stroke having been caught by Naruto's, his wrist gripped tightly as the younger man pushed to his feet.

"Not again," Naruto snarled, "I won't let you do that to me again. My friends are alive, my precious people are well and you can't make me kill them again!"

He shoved the man away then lifted his hands together before one lifted high into the air along with his foot coming up to cross his knee. His eyes closed as an illusion formed around him. The man was tall with waist length flowing hair around him. He wore a kimono of a deep crimson with a blue sash. His hands were in the same position as Naruto's before burning blue eyes opened and the illusion looked at Danzou.

"You seek power and positions that don't belong to you old man, the gods are angry and I have been sent to judge you. I have found you guilty and the gods pass sentence on your for you deceitful heart and treatment of innocent people," the god intoned in a voice that was at once terrible and beautiful.

Wind began to whip around the area growing in strength pushing Sasuke back against the gate.

"Shina-Tsu-Hiko's saber wind!" the god pronounced.

Danzou fell back with a cry as small slices appeared in his skin but the wind didn't let up. Blood poured as the wind cut through cloth and flesh, the earth running crimson as blood flowed out of each wound. But the wind didn't touch anyone else but the man the gods had given a death sentence to.

The wind died and the illusion faded until it was gone. Naruto dropped to the ground bonelessly, crumbling to a sprawl.

Sasuke sprinted across the destroyed area to his side falling to kneel next to his lover's side. He pulled the man into his arms and held him against his chest.

"Naruto? Are you alright?" Sasuke asked seeing the deathly white face.

Sakura knelt on the other side and pressed glowing hands to his chest, performing an internal examination of her friend. Her expression becoming more and more worried.

"What?" Sasuke demanded as her face grew white.

"He had used up most of his chakra," she whispered. "His heart is trying to function but it's having a hard time. I'm going to attempt to give him some of my chakra but…" he voice fell silent as she concentrated.

He knew what she was trying to say but pushed the thought aside. If she failed then Naruto might die.

Sai drew up to stand towering over the three his expression worried for his friend, the first person other than his brother that he had formed a bond with. The skies had lightened while they had fought and the blue was covered with dark grey clouds that began to rain as if grieving for the fallen man already. Sai pulled a scroll then used a ninjustu to turn the ink into a large umbrella holding it over the four of them.

Sakura fell back catching herself with a hand nearly drained. Sasuke looked at her expectantly reading the exhausted face even as she shook her head. She hadn't been able to accomplish the transfer.

Sasuke felt tears sting his eyes as he pulled the man close to him.

"Naruto," he whispered into the precious ear. "I've been enveloped in darkness but I've been able to live because I knew that my light was out in the world. I can't stand the thought that it's fading. You can't die." He sobbed into the soft neck feeling the pulse grow fainter. "I need you to live. You hold my heart and with out you I won't be able to go on, please. You have finally returned my heart to me so you can't leave. I love you, usuratonkachi!"

"Don't call me that, Sasuke."

Sasuke pulled back and looked into the beloved blue eyes that had fluttered open.

"Naruto! You can't die," Sasuke said urgently.

"I won't but I'm so tired." His eyes closed and he felt the warmth wrap around him again as his dream returned. He smiled because he knew that it was here to stay at last.

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Sorry, I've been told that i'm depressing and the Naruto nearly dies once again, but I think that its the only way that Sasuke will really see what he has, or I could be wrong. i don't know but anyways. I have one more chapter but....

Leave a review.

A quick thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter. THanks I get so antsy about what I write and I want you all to enjoy it that sometimes i loose sight of the purpose of the book and its great to have someone remind me.

See ya later. I'm going to try and finish this up tonight or tomorrow.

ZEN


	17. Chapter 17

"Checkmate!" Shikamaru exclaimed moving his piece into position. "How many is that?"

"Um, hell, I don't know, 567 wins or some such number," the Hokage muttered and stared at the wooden table. "And tell me again why I am putting myself through this humiliation?"

"Because you decided that you needed to learn some strategy concepts," Shikamaru said as he began to rearrange his pieces back into their beginning formation. They looked up as they heard the snap of approaching heels.

"Hokage-sama, I need you to sign these documents!" Sakura snapped as she shuffled through the stack that she carried and slapped a sheaf of papers on to the wooden desk.

"Fine, but I would like you to deliver this newest proposal for a treaty to the message center so that they can send it with a bird to the Kazakage," he muttered as he stood and walked to the desk. He tipped back his red and white hat as he pulled the sheets over to him and began reading.

"You know that Gaara is only protesting the conditions because he wants to annoy Sasuke after that comment that he made about psychopathic killers," Sakura snapped.

"Yeah, but I'm trying to smooth things over with him and their both being impossible," the Hokage said as he looked up with laughing blue eyes to meet emerald green ones. Sakura smiled because she to had found the comment humorous.

"I still think that a formal apology from Sasuke would help immensely," Shikamaru said as he approached the desk.

"Yes, but how do you propose that we make him do it?" Naruto asked signing the bottom of the sheet of paper that he was studying.

Shikamaru remained quiet knowing that Naruto had stumped him with that question because there was no making Sasuke do anything that he didn't want to do. He rolled his eyes at the impossibility of the question.

"Is Gaara coming for the Chuunin exams next week?" Sakura asked.

"Yes, almost every Kage and feudal lord from all the countries will be in attendance," Naruto asked his eyes wide at the prospect.

"You've done wonders since you became Hokage over a year ago," Shikamaru stated. It was the complete truth. Naruto had been able to develop treaties with nearly all of the countries and was in negotiations with the rest to bring a lasting peace to the land.

"Hmm, I don't think that I would have been able to do it without the support of everyone around me. You, Shikamaru, helped to develop the treaties. Sakura had been invaluable in teaching the other countries some of the newest medical discoveries that she's made and they've become a growing demand that's increased the Fire Countries profits which the feudal lord is happy about. Everyone has become an asset that has increased our profitability." Naruto's face was peaceful as he sat back in his chair thinking over the events of the last months. There was only one thing that would make him happier, if Sasuke hadn't had to be gone for the last six months to settle his affairs in the Sound country.

Sasuke had gone back to choose a viable proxy to serve as feudal lord over the country so that he could be by Naruto's side. The process has been long and difficult finding someone that was trust worthy enough to keep the treaty that had been signed between them and the Fire Country. Sasuke had written a week ago that it was done and he would be returning soon.

Naruto sighed then returned to reading the document that Sakura had brought. Most of them were requests for help with minor things. He signed them so that Sakura could take them to Iruka and missions assigned. A few had skirmishes break out and needed assistance which chuunin and jounin teams would be selected for and others were reports from neighboring countries that had yet to sign treaties.

He heard a sound at the window and looked around.

"You do know that you can use the door?" he asked the man at the window.

"I could but then it would have taken me longer to get here," Sasuke said as he stepped into the room. He ignored Sakura and Shikamaru as he went to Naruto pulling him out of his chair and into his arms. "I missed you too much to waste any time going through that gauntlet of people just to see you." He pressed his lips to the Hokage's and licked his way into his mouth hearing the door close distantly as Sakura and Shikamaru left to give the couple some privacy.

"Mm," Naruto hummed as he dueled Sasuke's tongue for dominancy and lost. "You taste like strawberries."

"I ate a strawberry candy just before I got here," Sasuke murmured as his lips trailed down Naruto's chin to nibble at his ear lobe. Naruto shuddered at the ticklish sensation and busied his hands in undressing the man he hadn't seen in six months.

"Please, Sasuke, it's been too long." He pulled the shirt over Sasuke's head and attacked the man's chest licking and sucking at the twin pebbles.

"God, yes," Sasuke groaned and finished undressing Naruto so that he could feel him skin to skin. His hands found the hard shaft and caressed the velvet rod before Naruto dropped to his knees and took Sasuke into his mouth forcing the raven to release him.

"You taste so good, Sasuke," Naruto said as he licked the tip then closed his mouth fully over the shaft pulling it deep into his throat then bobbing.

Sasuke's hand fisted in Naruto's hair holding the head to him as his pleasure spiked. He groaned low and bucked his hips. His head fell back and he forced his leg muscle to keep him upright.

"Enough," he growled pulling Naruto up and turning him, pushed him down on the desk covering him from behind. He reached around and grasped Naruto penis while tucking two fingers into his ass to prepare him. Naruto keened deeply pushing back against the invasion.

"It feels too good," Naruto whimpered. The sensation wasn't enough for him though. "Don't make me wait any longer, Sasuke, take me, claim me."

Sasuke needed little encouragement and pressed his hardness into Naruto's passage. He huffed out a breath as he thrust home. Naruto cried out as at last Sasuke filled him then withdrew only to do it again.

Sasuke set a rhythm that quickly took them to the precipice before pushing them over the edge. They came together with soft shouts of ecstasy and joy before drifting slow back to sanity.

They ended up cuddling on the couch in each others arms and kissing gently allowing the bliss to flow around them. They were finally together after being separated for so long.

"I'm not leaving again," Sasuke said as he brushed his fingers through Naruto's silky hair. "I refuse to be apart from you for so long."

"I won't let you go away either," Naruto murmured as he played with Sasuke's other hand lacing their finger together and raising the hand to his lips to lay a kiss across the callused knuckles.

"I love you, Naruto, you are my heart and I finally have you back."

"I love you too, Sasuke, my heart is yours and I have returned it."

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I'm done!!

Sorry that its a short story but I didn't want to clutter it up with long winded parts so it is what it is!!! I hope that you all enjoyed the story, I had fund writing it and I'm looking forward to starting another. So keep your eyes peeled.

The title was just one that I threw out there but as the story developed then I found that it fit really well. At first I thought that is was Sasuke who was giving Naruto his heart back but as it turns out it became a mutual thing and they both found their hearts with each other.

Well, if you liked the story, let me know with a review. I would like to apologize for any spelling or gramatical errors. and I know that I took alot of advantage with the whoel Danzou and Naruto fight scene but I hope you enjoyed it.

Well, I'll let you get back to your lives and hope to see you again soon,

ZEN


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